All We Need
by NorthernShadows
Summary: "Sometimes, all we need is a bit of color in our lives." She flicked some paint on his nose, laughing. Tadashi wondered if she even realized how she was beginning to paint a ginger streak in his. (( TadashixOC ))
1. Prologue

**A/N: Well, this plot bunny has been hopping around ever since I watched the movie. Let's see how this goes over.**

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**CHAPTER 1**

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**WORD COUNT: 575**

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"What the-" Tadashi raised a questioning eyebrow as he lifted his foot, having felt something gooey compress beneath his shoe. "Fred..." He groaned, seeing an old slice of pizza, strings of cheese making it stick slightly to the bottom of the rubber sole. He wiggled his sneaker experimentally and the mozzarella stretched. The thing squelched slightly as it fell back to floor of the lab with a _plop._

"Gross. That looks nasty." Wasabi suddenly appeared beside him. Shuddering, he carefully sidestepped the cheesy mess. "That guy _really _needs to learn to be more careful about where he leaves his snacks." He looked back at Tadashi who was balancing on one foot, trying to look around for something to help remove the stuff from his shoe.

"Here." His dark friend held out a disposable plastic glove and some tissues.

"Thanks." The Hamada said gratefully, taking the items. Trust Wasabi to always have these kinds of things on hand all the time. He suspected his OCD friend had an array of cleaning supplies stocked somewhere in one of the metal cabinets on his side of the lab.

"Just make sure to get all the cheese. That stuff is_ too _close to my workspace." The applied physics major looked worriedly at the offending piece of pizza marring the pristine white of the lab floor.

"Sure sure." Tadashi chuckled slightly at his lab-mate's expression, before looking back to his shoe. He shook his head, groaning again as he began to scrape off what was left of the yellowish splotch.

Today was just not his day. This morning, he'd somehow slept through his alarm, and ended up waking up later than usual. That wouldn't have been much of a problem, being used to rushing at times, but Hiro wasn't. Being the big brother, it was his responsibility to bring his otouto to school in the morning. He'd ragged on his little brother the whole way to the boy's high school for moving so sluggishly when he got out of bed.

"Not my fault you slept in, Tadashi!" Hiro had laughed out at his older brother's panicky state, earning the twelve year old a head of ruffled hair along with a rushed wave and a "Take care of yourself, bonehead" from the elder Hamada.

A few blocks from the institute, Tadashi's moped had suddenly died. Being somewhat frazzled with his lateness, he couldn't effectively restart his ride. He ended up walking, pushing the vehicle all the way to the lab's student parking lot. If that wasn't bad enough, he was having some trouble with the assignment given in his Dynamics and Controls class.

_Maybe it's the wiring... _The nineteen-year old robotics student mused, letting out a sigh, mopping up the pizza grease from the floor. _Or maybe a glitch-_

A monster head collided with Tadashi when he stood and turned. _Splat! _The mauled slice of pizza slipped from his grip, falling back down... on top of his sneaker.

"Fred!" He snapped, his patience at its end. Reaching sharply for the top of the mascot costume, he didn't notice that the bulbous yellow eyes of the monster head were strangely several inches lower than usual. "You _really_ need-"

When he flipped the mouth of the costume back, his anger immediately deflated when he was met with large stormy grey eyes and a mess of ginger hair.

"Hi..."

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**A/N: Thoughts?**


	2. Chapter 1: Flipped

**A/N: So here we go. A little more interaction. Just for your information, the story starts during the second term of Tadashi's first year in college.**

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**Chapter 1: Flipped**

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Word Count: 1,645 words

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"Hi." The redhead said apologetically, raising a hand and giving an embarrassed wave.

Tadashi stuttered, having never seen this girl in the lab before. "H-Hi...?"

She was wearing an electric blue cut off top with a long sleeved fitted shirt underneath. Her cargo pants were low on her hips.

"Tadashi, my man!" Fred suddenly appeared between the two, grinning widely. Large green monster arms wrapped around the shoulders of the Hamada and the female next to him. "I see you've met Flip here." The fanboy wore the rest of his school mascot costume, sans the head.

"Yeah..." Tadashi said somewhat unsurely, looking from Fred to the girl apparently named _Flip_. "Hey." He said to the redhead, giving a small twitch of his hand.

"This guy here," Fred said animatedly, indicating his dark haired friend, "Works on _robotics_! Real _cool _stuff." Flip's eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at the robotics student.

"M-More on research right now..." Tadashi coughed, shifting in place. "It'll be next year we get to start working on the _real_ cool stuff." He shrugged, trying his best to seem nonchalant, mind wandering back to his assignment.

"Oh yeah!" Fred perked up, looking at the girl wearing part of his costume. "Those comics you wanted to borrow. I know I left them somewhere here..." He moved off to the part of the lab that he had turned to his own, but not before placing Flip closer to the Hamada. "You better stay here, there's a lot of awesome but dangerous stuff lying around the lab." He threw an almost serious look at Tadashi, "Watch her, dude! Wouldn't want her losing an arm!"

"Maybe I should have waited for you outside then!" The girl chuckled, calling after the mascot as he darted away. "I seriously don't know where he gets all the energy." She laughed. The sound was nice. Flip pulled off the mascot head she was wearing before quickly brushing a hand through her unruly ginger locks and readjusting the grey bonnet on her head.

"So, Takashi?" She smiled slowly, small dimples appearing on her cheeks. "Sorry for bumping into you like that earlier." She apologized.

"Tada-" He started, clearing his throat. "Tadashi, actually. Tadashi Hamada."

"Ta_d_ashi, then." The redhead repeated, smiling a little more widely with the tips of her ears turning pink. It was charming. Scratching the back of her neck a little embarrassedly, she held out a hand. The two reached out to shake hands, the robotics student momentarily forgetting the greasy glove he was wearing. "I'm-" It took the crinkle of plastic and a slight cringe from the girl in front of him before he realized his mistake, mortified.

"Sorry!" He stepped back and took off the glove immediately, using it to pick up the forgotten slice of pizza on his shoe. _Nice one, Hamada. _He chided himself mentally. "I'm _so_ sorry!" He repeated as he finally threw away the piece of Italian cuisine in the trash bin.

"I'm guessing you were cleaning _that_ up when I bumped into you." She looked at the stain that the snack had left on his mint green sneaker, abashed. "I guess I should be the one apologizing."

"No. No. Accidents happen." Tadashi replied sheepishly. The redhead grinned in return.

Wasabi suddenly appeared once more, holding out a box of tissues. "Here. You better clean that stuff up, before anything else happens."

"Thanks again, Wasabi." The robotics student pulled out several white sheets, offering a few to the girl next to him.

"Thanks so much... Wasabi?" The redhead asked, taking a sheet from Tadashi gratefully. Wiping away the grease on her fingers, she looked up questioningly at the dark, dreadlocked guy. "Did Fred come up with that because you like green?" She asked, observing the green sweater he was wearing.

The large man sagged and groaned, walking back to his workspace. "I spilled wasabi on my shirt one time. _One time!_"

"I thought I was the only one with a nickname." The girl laughed.

"Nah. Fred likes giving nicknames." Tadashi smiled awkwardly, turning to her. He tried making small conversation. "Flip... right?" He asked.

"Quinn Wells actually... but yeah..." The girl in question looked back to him, nodding.

"How did he come up with _Flip _then?" He wondered._  
_

"Weeell..." The pink was starting to spread to her cheeks.

"You should see her in action!" Fred suddenly reappeared, now dressed in his usual baggy clothing without his mascot costume, his hands gesturing enthusiastically. "Dude, if you've seen what she can do, you'd agree with me that her nickname should be-"

Quinn turned beet red all at once, cutting Fred off by pulling down his blue-green beanie over his face. "Don't you _dare_ start that again!"

Tadashi chuckled as he watched Flip... well... stayed true to her name and _flipped_ out on his zany friend. She hit the fanboy in the face with the mascot head she still had.

"But it was the _perfect_ nickname for you!" Fred whined, taking the opportunity to pull up his beanie. His wide blue eyes gave him a puppy dog look as he sulked slightly. "Seriously. What's wrong with _P-_"

"I already agreed to _Flip,"_ she cut him off again, "And that was weeks ago... so _no_ takebacks!" The redhead ignored the look and shoved the costume piece to her friend's chest. "Now hand me those comics! I'm sure we've caused enough of a ruckus in here." Just as she stretched out her hand, Fred also did so at the same time to keep them out of her reach.

"Nah-Ah, Flippy-Dippy! I said I'd introduce you to some of my friends first."

Tadashi watched Fred and Flip bicker for a few more moments shuffling in place, not sure how to get around them to the materials he needed.

"Anyway, you've already met Tadashi here." Fred reintroduced. The robotics student and the redhead shared yet another wave before Fred put his hands on Flip's shoulders, pushing her to another side of the lab. "And Wasabi..." The fanboy said as they passed where the aforementioned man was working.

"Why did she get a say with her nickname and I didn't?!" Wasabi complained, having heard the girl's previous words. Fred didn't mind his dark skinned friend's words as he spotted Gogo. Quinn looked apologetically at the dreadlocked man as she was pushed past, shrugging, before she was bombarded with another one of Fred's enthusiastic introductions.

_Click!_

"H-Honey?!" Tadashi wondered how everybody managed to pull a ninja appearance on him today. "I thought you were in class."

"I just came by the lab to get a few things, but that's beside the point." She waved her hand dismissively, a cheshire grin spreading on her lips. "You think she's cute don't you?" She asked slyly, indicating the ginger at the other side of the lab who was exchanging a few words with Gogo.

"Wh-Wha?" A blush spread across his cheeks as he stuttered.

The blonde let out an exaggerated gasp, "You _doooo_!" She sang.

Tadashi's hands gestured wildly, though words seemed to elude him for a few moments before he stilled and finally said, "Where'd you get that idea?" He stood, trying to look unfazed, adjusting the cap on his head, and shuffling awkwardly.

"Well," Honey showed him her phone. "The look on your face says it all." She giggled. Tadashi's distracted, almost dreamy expression was captured on her screen. The robotics student gaped at his friend, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The chemist quickly stuffed her phone in her bag when he tried to make a grab for it.

"Honey, _pleaaase._" He groaned, shoulders slumping. "Delete the photo."

Honey Lemon simply shook her head, smiling widely. "I need to get to my next class." She went through the entrance of the lab, "Bye, Tadashiiii!" She called, a teasing note in her voice.

Tadashi looked disbelievingly at the door that closed. "Seriously..." He ran both hands exasperatedly over his face.

"Awww. Honey left already?" Fred had quickly dragged Flip back to where Tadashi was standing, having seen the chemist talking with him. "That was fast."

"She said she had another class." The Hamada mumbled from behind a hand that was hiding the faint blush that was still left on his cheeks.

At that sentence, Quinn glanced at her watch. "Fred, I really need to get going. I have a class too." She poked her friend in the shoulder.

_A class?_

"Awww. But you've barely seen the wonders of the lab!" Fred argued.

"I thought I'd lose an arm?" The redhead laughed, repeating her friend's earlier statement. "Anyway," She shrugged, snatching the comics that Fred still had in his hand. "There'll be other times, like when I bring these back." She looked to the Hamada. "It was nice meeting you, Tadashi." A grin was plastered on her face.

"Y-Yeah." He stuttered, Honey's words echoing through his head. Large grey eyes twinkled at him, before they turned away.

"Wasabi." The redhead nodded, beginning to walk backwards toward the door.

"Flip." The other man acknowledged her with a wave of his hand as he looked up from what he was working on.

"Say bye to Gogo for me. I think she's pretty busy with her own work." The redhead said, looking to the speedster at the other side of the lab before rushing off through the exit. "See yah, Fredzilla!" She waved, mess of fiery ginger hair whipping behind her as she turned the corner.

Tadashi couldn't help but stand and watch for the second time that day as the lab doors closed.

_Quinn Wells..._

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**A/N: Thoughts? Review please. **


	3. Chapter 2: Dynamics

**CHAPTER 2: DYNAMICS**

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WORD COUNT: 2,472

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Flip soon became a regular presence in the lab, usually coming in with Fred. She'd occasionally bring snacks to share, making sure to clean up afterwards. Especially after learning from Tadashi that a wayward piece of leftover food had been the cause of their little pizza incident during her first visit.

She turned out to be quite the science enthusiast, somewhat like Fred. Though much of what the SFIT students did made her head spin, she loved being around them. Their work seemed amazing and definitely promising. However, she never stayed as much as the school mascot did, usually mentioning classes she had to go to after being in the lab for an hour or two at the most.

It was for that reason that around two weeks later, Wasabi asked, "You're not a student here... Right?" The girl in question nodded slowly, sipping at the soda she was holding. "So which school do you go to? San Fransokyo University? Kogane District College? Nerima Tech?"

Flip blushed slightly, mumbling behind her soda can.

"What was that?" Gogo asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Easy there, Gogo. Don't bite her head off." Wasabi said, putting a hand on the speedster's shoulder. His hand immediately retracted when Gogo glared at him.

"I..." Flip pulled nervously at a strand of hair. "I'm not going to college right now..."

"You're out of school?..." Tadashi muttered more to himself, though it was still loud enough for the girl in question to hear.

The statement made her feel small... _very small... _surrounded by a group of geniuses attending one of the most prestigious schools in San Fransokyo. The Hamada almost wanted to hit himself when he saw Flip curl into herself slightly, her shoulders drooping as she stared at her hands, playing with her thumbs.

The only reason she didn't completely clam up or probably even run was Fred, who backed her up enthusiastically.

"That may be true. But she _teaches_!" He said, grinning widely and patting the top of Flip's head. She glared slightly at her friend for the action, but she was feeling too grateful toward him to really burn a hole through his skull. "Imagine her being like a mentor or... or a _professor_! Like Professor Cal!"

"Oh really? Wow." Honey Lemon piped up, her eyes wide with interest. "What do you teach?"

"It's nothing big." Flip fidgeted a bit. "I just teach a few dance classes at the recreational center." She said a bit more strongly, gaining confidence with the encouraging looks thrown to her by both Tadashi and Wasabi. Though if you looked closely, the tips of her ears were turning slightly pink.

"I also work as a freelance choreographer. That's how I bumped into Fredzilla over here." She grinned, punching said guy lightly on the shoulder. "I was helping choreograph a short number for SFIT's next big game."

"Oh! OH!" Honey Lemon clapped her hands excitedly. "Could you show us some of your moves?"

Flip looked around, "Well... I'd _really_ love to. But I don't think the _lab_ is really the best place for that." She shrugged, gesturing to the equipment and the other people who were milling around the room.

"Nonsense!" Fred stood up. "I have enough room for my sign spinning! I'm pretty sure my part of the lab has enough space for you to show off."

The SFIT mascot had a point there. It was actually the slower hours of the lab, with fewer people, who were taking breaks themselves, but Flip's hesitance came a from there actually _being_ other people in the room rather than the possibility that she might accidentally mess up someone's work. She gulped a bit nervously.

_Come on. If you can teach a class full of kids, teens, and adults, you can do this._

The choreographer couldn't really say no when Fred jumped up and started clearing a little more room for her, Wasabi moving to help. Even Gogo moved to the side, leaning on a table instead of sitting on the floor.

Honey Lemon was verily _bouncing_ with excitement as she hooked her phone to a speaker, scrolling through her tracks.

"You're making a really big deal out of this." Flip flushed, groaning, but stretching just the same.

"You've gotta admit, we're all pretty curious how you earned your nickname." Tadashi moved a box of Fred's things, placing it on top of the table, before grabbing a bag of potato chips.

She looked at the Hamada, laughing nervously, "If that's all you want to know, I can just _tell_ you. I _really_ don't need to actually _dance_-"

A pop song began playing loudly, and Flip turned to see Fred now standing beside Honey, the chemist's phone in the fanboy's hands.

"_Seriously_, Fred?"

**_She got a body like an hourglass__  
But I can give it to you all the time_**

"It has a nice beat to it!" The mascot argued.

**_She got a booty like a Cadillac__  
But I can send you into overdrive oh_**

Flip turned beet red, rubbing two hands over her face, and breathing deeply. _I am going to kill you. _She mouthed, eyes narrowed at her friend.

Tadashi almost thought she would settle for strangling Fred while the music played on in the background, but when the introductory lines of the song were over, she opened her eyes, a gleam in her grey orbs.

**_Stop and wait, wait for that, stop, hold up, swing your bat_**

She started dancing.

**_See anybody could be bad to you, you need a good girl to blow your mind, yeah_**

Her arms snapped with her body, feet stomping, and hips swaying to the beat of the song. An almost smirk grew on her lips as she whipped her head back, ginger hair flying, as she spun and turned.

**_Bang bang all over you (I'll let you have it)_****_  
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)  
Wait a minute 'til ya (ah) _**

**_Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it)_****_  
Back, back seat of my car (I'll let you have it)  
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)  
Wait a minute 'til ya (ah) _**

Her knees bent as her legs kicked, arms swinging and locking to the lyrics. And at the end of the first chorus, she took three quick steps before doing an aerial cartwheel, elbows bent just enough to keep her hands from touching the floor.

Flip's eyes closed again as her feet landed back on the ground, her chest heaving as she let out a deep breath. The music continued to play as she straightened.

Her eyes opened when Fred clapped a hand on her back. "And _that _is why she's Flip." He grinned. "_Awesome_ cartwheel, by the way."

Tadashi wondered if Fred chose her nickname simply because of her aerial maneuver, or how she almost seemed to switch personalities when she was dancing. Whatever the case, the one word that seemed to form in his mind was, "Wow."

"That was really good, Flip!" Honey smiled widely, holding the redhead's hands in her own. Maybe next time, you can do a _full_ number!"

Wasabi was nodding in agreement.

Flip smiled, ears tinging pink again, the light blush reaching her cheeks. "Maybe, wh-"

"Oh. OH!" Honey bounced again in front of the ginger. The choreographer feeling a bit nervous thinking about what the chemist would ask her to do now. "Tadashi! You have that new dynamics project right? Flip could make a _wonderful_ reference!"

Both Quinn and Tadashi stared at the blonde girl. Quinn wondering what her words meant, though curious about this "project", and Tadashi feeling a blush creep up his neck with another one of Honey's attempts at pushing them together.

"Dynamics project?" Flip asked, looking at the Hamada, who was stuttering as she faced her.

"Th-The project's all about movement. Our Dynamics professor wants us to try modifying old programs, or making our own programs to mimic movement using a... umm... reference model." Tadashi said the last two words slowly, hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck nervously.

The redhead took a few seconds to process his words. "Do you mean... Like how they use actors as base models for video games and animations?"

"Y-yeah. Just like that."

_'Come on Hamada. Why did you make yourself sound like a perv?' _Tadashi mentally kicked himself.

"You want _me_ to be a _base model_?"

The robotics student fidgeted a bit awkwardly. "If that's okay with you-"

"Definitely." She grabbed Tadashi's shoulders, making his eyes widen in surprise at the close contact. Flip rolled back and forth on her heels and toes, trying to suppress her excitement at being part of an _actual _science project. "That sounds really fun! Would it be like-"

"Two forty-seven." Gogo said simply, making the redhead cut her spiel short and look at her watch.

"Oh, crap." Flip let go of Tadashi, readjusting the straps of her backpack, "Anyway, I've gotta go be a _mentor._" She grinned at the word, probably finding it amusing. "Thanks for the reminder, Gogo." The dark-haired girl nodded in acknowledgement, chewing at her gum.

Tadashi watched Flip pull down Fred's beanie over his face as she passed behind the fanboy. He noted how it seemed to be a normal thing between the two. "See yah, Fredzilla!" She said, putting the new set of comics she borrowed from him on a side table. "Thanks again for these." She grinned at the light-haired boy.

"Sure thing. No problemo." Fred said easily. "I'll have the next few issues with me tomorrow." The choreographer clicked her tongue and pointed at Fred with her thumb and index finger in a shooting motion, before winking.

"Don't you forget them! I'm at a good part of the story!" She then turned to the rest of the group. "See you when I see you, guys." Flip smiled at each of them, stopping by the Hamada to grab a handful of chips from the bag he was holding.

"Good luck with your project. Just text me if you need me! Go science!" She said with two thumbs up, a grin plastered on her face. Gogo rolled her eyes at the words, but Flip just laughed it off. With that, the ginger exited the lab.

"Hey Tadashi, don't forget to remind me again about those comics. Last time I forgot and she was at a _'good part'," _Fred made quotation marks with his fingers,_ "_She really went_ ballistic_. I thought she was gonna _literally_ breathe fire." The fanboy's eyes glazed slightly at the memory. "Oh yeah, that reminds me of something else. Honey, I wanted to ask something."

"What is it, Freddie?" Honey adjusted her pink glasses as she looked at him.

"Well, I was wondering... Could you make a formula to make me a fire breathing monster at will?" Fred began stomping around with his arms up, his hands angled like claws. "Then I could _literally_ breathe fire." He motioned with his head, mimicking a monster exhaling flames. He looked at the blonde eagerly.

"I'm sorry, Fred. But I don't think that's really science." She said gently, apologizing.

"Really? Come on! I'm sure it's possible! Imagine how awesome that would be! And how can that _not_ be science? Tadashi?" The fanboy looked to the Hamada for support, but the robotics student looked slightly distracted.

"Helloooo? Earth to Tadashi." Fred waved his arms, garnering his friend's attention.

"Yeah, I won't forget to text you about the comics." Tadashi said a bit absently, taking and eating a potato chip.

"I think he's too far gone." Wasabi mock whispered to the fanboy, moving to go back to his work.

"What?" Tadashi looked confused, attention now snapping to the conversation.

"You were _so_ spaced out, you didn't even back me up, dude! Now Honey won't make me that monster formula."

The Hamada cocked his head to the side, even more confused. The discussion went completely over his head.

"It's _so_ cute! He doesn't even realize it yet!" Honey giggled.

Tadashi groaned, getting an idea of the subject when the chemist voiced her opinion.

"I think he has an idea." Wasabi said from his work space.

"When are you going to _woman up_ and actually do something about it?" Gogo questioned, bubblegum popping as she looked at Tadashi, who was hastily threw the empty bag of potato chips in the trash.

"Guys!" The robotics student was flustered by all his friends' teasing. "Fine! I think Quinn's kinda cute, and I might have a _small _crush on her. _Happy_?" At the end of his little declaration, the robotics student pulled the bill of his cap over his face at his friends' grins and wide smiles. "Fred, aren't you going to say something? Everybody's trying to pair me up with Quinn! She's your best friend, isn't she?"

"Yes. Yes she _is_." Fred said, turning serious. He moved, standing right in front of the robotics student, and put two firm hands on his friend's shoulders. Tadashi had never really seen Fred like this. He gulped at the hard look the SFIT mascot was giving him, almost fearing what the fanboy would say next. "Which is why it makes it my duty to make sure she goes out with a nice guy."

Tadashi gaped.

"Besides, I think you need someone to help you lighten up once in a while." The comic-enthusiast clapped his friend on the back. "Dude, sometimes, _even I_ can't get to you when you're caught up in your work!"

_Whachaaaah!_

The sound of swords clashing rang out. Fred dug out his phone from his pocket, reading the message he just received.

"Aaand... she just texted me to give her number to you, since she forgot to give it to you before she left." Fred grinned, showing the Hamada the message.

Tadashi floundered for a few seconds, "It's for my dynamics project!" He finally said defensively, feeling the blush now spreading from his neck to his cheeks. He walked robotically back to his portion of the lab, trying hard not to pay too much attention to the sly looks everyone seemed to be giving him.

He relaxed slightly when he got to his table, trying to come to terms with his embarrassment, when his phone suddenly buzzed.

A contact was attached to the message that read:

**_Have fun with your "research". XD_**

Tadashi turned beet red at Fred's text, almost chucking his phone out the window.

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**A/N: Thanks to everybody who read and reviewed. The song I used in this story is "Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj. If you want an idea for what Flip did for her little demo, just go to youtube and search "Bang Bang choreography" by Mega Jam or by Jason Rodrigues. I imagine Flip doing something that mixes the two choreographies.**

**Thoughts? Review please.**


	4. Chapter 3: Programming

**A/N: Well, this is a late holiday update. Belated happy holidays to everybody, and thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, watched, and added this story to their favorites. I don't want to keep you any longer, so here it is.**

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**CHAPTER 3: PROGRAMMING**

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WORD COUNT: 3,510

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"Hold your hand out."

"Like this?"

"Yeah... Wait. A bit higher."

_Tap tap tap. Click._

"Now go through some of the movements again."

_Tap tap tap tap._

Tadashi and Flip were at his side of the lab, working on his dynamics project. It was day three of the software testing, and the robotics student was working out some of the kinks in his coding.

The robotic arm he was working on was supposed to follow the movements Flip was making through a glove and sleeve that the student had embedded with sensors. Sure enough, the arm followed the motions- waving, bending at the elbow, and making a fist. However, the movements weren't smooth, the mechanical replica lacking the grace that Flip put into the actions.

The joints locked every few minutes as well, making Tadashi groan in frustration. His project assistant watched him sympathetically, having seen the amount of effort and dedication he put into his work. Flip looked on as the Hamada ran a hand through his hair, readjusting his cap, before he focused his attention fully back to his laptop screen, fingers flying over the keyboard.

The choreographer sighed. She wished she could be more help, but she wasn't sure exactly what she could do.

At one side of the lab, the rest of Tadashi's college friends had convened, observing the two as the robotics student continued tapping away at his laptop, the redhead sitting on a metal table several feet from him, stretching her arm. A few minutes passed with Tadashi's eyes still glued to his screen.

"I told you this wouldn't work." Gogo said, chewing her gum.

"I'd usually tell you not to be so skeptical, but you have a point. That guy is stuck in his head again." Wasabi shook his head.

"But look, she's worried about him." Honey Lemon cooed, smiling softly.

"That guy hasn't eaten anything since _lunch! _Who _wouldn't_ be worried? It's almost _three-thirty_!" Fred said it like it was the most heinous thing imaginable.

"Looks like Flip might actually try to kick Tadashi out of his little bubble." Gogo commented.

The others immediately looked back to the other side of the lab. Flip had hopped off of the table, walking behind the Hamada, peeking over his shoulder at his work.

"Tadashi?" The redhead tried to catch his attention, but he was still focused on his coding.

"Tadashiiii..." She dragged her speech a bit, leaning both her hands on the back of his chair. No reaction.

Walking to the other side of his laptop screen, she waved both her arms, momentarily forgetting about the active sensors all over her left arm. Tadashi's eyebrows shot up, noting the activity on the software program he was working on, his head following suit to look at what was going on with his base model.

It was a second earlier that Flip had decided to try to shock the robotics student out of his little work daze, putting her face right behind the top of his laptop screen and pursing her lips with her eyes crossed.

The next moment found the bill of Tadashi's cap flicking at the girl's nose, earning a surprised yelp from the redhead. She stumbled back, tripping on her own feet and landing on her bottom, with the Hamada gaping.

"Ow..." She winced, but looked to the stock-still robotics student and smiled through the slight pain and embarrassment she was feeling. "Fred warned me how you can space out when it comes to your work. But I didn't think it could be _this_ bad." She said humorously.

Gogo, Wasabi, Fred and Honey Lemon couldn't help but be somewhat amused at how Tadashi remained frozen while Flip continued to smile at him from the floor.

"Come on, dude!... _Move_!" Fred chanted. Maybe, if he thought it hard enough, his friend would snap out of it. The fanboy even went so far as to put two fingers to each of his temples, leaning forward as if to mentally will his friend into action.

Tadashi finally scrambled around his work table, apologizing profusely to Flip, who shrugged and let out a chuckle. The redhead was pulled up by the dark-haired student, rubbing at her sore tailbone while the Hamada flustered in front of her.

"It's almost three-thirty. The next batch of students will be coming in the lab in the next five minutes." Flip reminded patiently, showing the robotics student her watch.

Tadashi seemed to panic even more, turning in place, not sure whether he should try working on the wiring of the robotic arm, or scramble to try and finish one more test with his program. "But I almost have the coding done. Just a few more tweaks-"

The jittery robotics major suddenly found the his project assistant holding onto his shoulders, directing his gaze at her. She squeezed lightly as she said, "Breathe, fritzy." Her face a serious mask.

Something about her tone and her expression calmed him a bit, but his thoughts were still a bit frazzled.

"Breathe." Flip repeated when Tadashi's eyes darted again to his project and his work table, head starting to turn.

"Nah-ah, Hamada." This time Quinn squeezed his face between her hands, making his warm brown eyes meet her stormy grey ones straight on.

"Breathe..." She repeated a third time, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

The action seemed to work, making Tadashi imitate her. _Breathe in, breathe out._

"Calm now?" The redhead asked gently.

"I'm..." The Hamada took one more deep breath in reply before nodding. "I'm calm."

Flip smiled. "Okay." She nodded. "Now you should clear your stuff before we get an earful from Professor Callaghan again." She stepped back from Tadashi, about to move for her backpack, when he pouted. The puppy like expression on his face surprised her, making the tips of her ears turn pink.

"But I'm so close to getting the coding right." Tadashi mock whined.

It was Flip's turn to gape, though she did so half mentally.

_'He looks so... cute... Wait. What?' _

"Ummm..." The redhead pulled at a lock of her hair, pushing the thought out of her head. "Is- Isn't there any other place you can work?" She stuttered slightly.

The two didn't notice, but their four friends were silently cheering.

"Well..." Tadashi thought while he saved his work, shut off his laptop, and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder. There was always the garage...

"I sort of have a lab at home..." The robotics student started slowly as he placed the robotic arm on a cart, securing it.

Flip shrugged. "If you're really close to finishing, and you... ummm... still need me, I don't mind dropping by and putting in an extra hour or two." She said smiling, though a bit awkwardly.

_'It's just a science project... Just for school.' _The Hamada chanted to himself mentally, steeling his resolve as Fred's ridiculous text came back to taunt him. He honestly _really_ wanted to get his coding right ASAP, and he was pretty sure the extra time Quinn was willing to give would assure that he would have some significant progress. Maybe he would even have the software ready for a full model test by the next day. Being able to spend more time with the girl he considered _'kinda cute' _didn't hurt either, he admitted to himself.

"If you're sure I won't be keeping you from anything." Tadashi, ever the gentleman, wanted to be sure.

Flip thought about it for a moment. She didn't have any scheduled classes today and she wouldn't need to be home till about eight...

"Yup. I'm pretty sure." She gave him a small smile.

The four observers were going wild in their little corner... Well, maybe Gogo not as enthusiastically. However, Honey Lemon was particularly giddy.

Tadashi couldn't help the smile that plastered itself on his face. He ignored Fred and Wasabi who not so subtly exchanged high fives and gave him sly grins when he and Quinn walked out of the SFIT lab together, his confidence building.

* * *

"Whoo! That was fun!" Flip gushed, jumping off the back of the moped, grinning at Tadashi. "I honestly thought I was gonna fall at one point... but _really..." _She continued like a child retelling her favorite part of a story, not noticing how the guy she was talking to was still sitting tensely on his moped.

The Hamada keenly felt the blush on his neck, and the place on his stomach where Quinn's arms had been wrapped around. He could still feel how tightly she held on when she had almost fallen off when he had swerved to avoid a jaywalking pedestrian. How she was stuck close to his back...

Sure. He was mature beyond his years, but sometimes, Tadashi hated how awkward being a hormonal male teenager could make him.

_'Ugh...' _It would be a miracle if he could focus on his project now.

"Lucky Cat Cafe?" Flip asked, pulling the Hamada out of his thoughts, looking at the cat statue propped above the entrance.

Tadashi swung off his moped while answering, "Yup. My aunt Cass runs it. We live just above the cafe, actually." He was glad for something to talk about to keep his mind from falling into the gutter, and avoid creating any awkward situations. "So I do all my lab work in the garage. This way." He waved, directing with one hand as he walked his vehicle to the side of the building.

He reached the garage, heaving the door open and flipping the light switch before he realized that his supposed project assistant hadn't followed him.

_Great. You spooked her, Hamada. _He groaned to himself.

"Quinn?" Tadashi called out, looking from side to side.

Just before he was about to give up and sulk a bit, he heard a soft tinkling sound and saw the redhead peek around the corner and jog towards him.

"Sorry for disappearing like that!" She apologized when she reached him, holding a paper bag in her hands. Flip looked through the large opening, into the garage, curious, and somewhat amazed with the setup. There were a few screens and a computer on one side, and some cool looking equipment she couldn't name laid out against the two remaining walls.

"Wow. So this is where you work, huh?" She said, walking around the space. Tadashi nodded in agreement, flipping on another light switch before closing the garage door.

"It took a while for my aunt Cass to agree to converting the garage into a lab. In the end, she gave in. At least I could make a mess here and she wouldn't have to worry about accidentally throwing out a project." The robotics student informed while picking up a few pieces and parts that were on the floor, and arranging a few things to make the area look a little less cluttered. It was usually that way until he had the summer to seriously clean up.

Flip continued wandering, almost touching several things, but keeping her hand hovering over them instead, afraid that she might accidentally damage something, or end up hurting herself.

"Are all of these your inventions?" She asked in awe, turning to look at Tadashi.

He seemed to straighten with pride, gaze going over various contraptions. "Well, some of them are mine. Others are my brother's. Some we worked on together." He explained, a glaze clouding his eyes as he remembered all the trouble that he and his brother had gotten into with their tinkering- creating all kinds of gadgets and gizmos.

"Wait. '_Brother_'?... I think I might have seen him at the cafe." Flip perked up. "Short kid, gap tooth, and messy black hair." The choreographer gestured her description with her hands.

"Sounds about right." Tadashi nodded. "Hiro must be helping out at the counter." He smiled at the thought. However, the cheery expression slid down his face with what the redhead said next.

"Hiro... That's a unique name. Sounds like 'hero'." Flip let out a giggle. "Honestly... He's absolutely _adorable_."

Tadashi felt a pang of jealousy. What the hell?

_'Are you seriously feeling jealous of your **little brother**?' _He mentally kicked himself... repeatedly. He reasoned that girls found a lot of things "adorable"- like puppies and kittens. Puppies and kittens!

"I bet you have to beat the girls back with a stick whenever he goes out."

Tadashi simply chuckled awkwardly. "That would be something." He said, not knowing what else to say, gesturing to the old, slightly beat- up couch that was one side of the garage, changing the subject.

Flip straightened, grinning as she walked over, holding up the paper bag she had in one hand. "I was thinking we should snack on something before we... well mainly _you _get back to work . Honey Lemon said you didn't have lunch yet." She fixed him with a hard look. "You can't work on an empty stomach."

_'Honey..." _He mentally groaned.

Tadashi's stomach chose that particular moment to let out a loud rumble. The Hamada blushed, even more so when Flip chuckled at the sound.

"Well, that's a definite 'yes'."

Sitting down, she pulled out a large strawberry donut and a cheese roll, along with two rippled paper cups. "It was actually your brother who suggested the black coffee for you, and your aunt said you like the strawberry cream."

Tadashi took a seat and looked at the snack gratefully. "You really didn't have to... but... Thank you." He didn't mention how it felt somewhat awkward for Quinn to have bought him food.

She took a bite from her roll, doing her best to ignore the fluttering in her chest when Tadashi had smiled so warmly at her. "Well, I usually bring snacks for the gang when I drop by the lab." She shrugged.

Tadashi just nodded, not saying how it felt different because this wasn't for the gang, it was for him. Maybe it was silly for him to think that... but regardless... It felt _different_.

* * *

"I think that does it. Try again."

Flip went through the motions with her arm again. Tadashi eyed the robotic replica critically as it whirred to life.

_Bend._

_Stretch._

_Wave._

_Wiggle._

_Clench._

_Punch!_

"YES!"

Tadashi yelled out triumphantly when the mechanical arm moved smoothly this time. He danced around the room, pumping his arms, too elated to really notice how amused his project assistant was at his actions.

Flip watched him, smiling. She was glad that the robotics student had succeeded in his effort.

"High five!" She called out to him, raising the arm wearing the glove and sleeve.

The Hamada paused his little victory dance to do just that, slapping his open hand with the metal palm of the robotic arm.

Tadashi seemed even giddier after the little display. His elation was infectious, and Flip soon found herself bouncing around beside her friend.

"This is _great_! We can do a _full_ model test by tomorrow!" He gushed excitedly, putting his arms on Flip's shoulders. The redhead laughed, amazed how hyper Tadashi could get when it came to his projects. It was cute.

Flip's ears turned pink when she realized what she was thinking. This was the second time today that she had caught the thought running through her mind. She felt the blush spread to her cheeks, and was glad that the redness could be blamed on how much she had laughed, and that some of her hair had fallen over her face with her jumping. Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind when she heard a door open. Both teens turned in the direction of the sound.

"Hey there! I brought dumplings!" Cass Hamada walked through the side door to the garage, holding a steaming plate.

"Aunt Cass!"

Tadashi and Quinn seemed to realize just how close they were standing together, and immediately jumped apart, putting distance between them.

"I thought I'd bring you something to eat after working for practically three hours! You guys must be _starving_!" The brown haired lady stepped over to the a table and set down the plate. "How's the science project going?" She smiled widely, looking intently at her nephew and his friend.

"It's been going well. We might actually be ready for more advanced testing tomorrow." Tadashi informed his aunt, turning to throw a smile at his assistant. Flip returned it with a grin.

"That's great!" Cass clapped her hands together. "Dinner will be in about an hour. Why don't you stay, Quinn? It's the least I could do to thank you for helping Tadashi out. We're having cur-ry." She sang the last word invitingly.

"I'd love to, Miss Hamada but-"

"Just call me Cass. 'Miss Hamada' makes me feel old." The woman laughed good naturedly, waving her hand.

"The invitation is really welcome," Flip then looked at her watch, jumping slightly as she noticed that it was almost 7:30. "...But I need to get home to my dad." Tadashi noted how Quinn's smile turned a bit strained.

"Oh, maybe next time. Take some dumplings with you then, at least."

The redhead was about to politely decline, but Cass had already skittered out of the garage- probably back to the kitchen.

"She's nice." Flip said, still a bit stunned by Tadashi's aunt's whirlwind appearance... and disappearance.

"That's my aunt Cass for you." The Hamada said, chuckling. "By the way. How did she know your name? Have you two met before?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I just met her a few hours ago, actually. I introduced myself when I asked for a recommendation at the cafe." The ginger replied.

"Ah-"

"Hey, Tadashi!" Another voice cut through the air as the door to the garage opened again. This time a short, gap toothed, dark haired boy entered. "Aunt Cass said to give this to you." He said, handing a takeout box to his older brother. He glanced at the other person at the room curiously. The redhead simply smiled and gave a small wave at the boy.

"Thanks, bonehead."

Hiro suddenly yelped when the teen ruffled his already messy hair. "Tadashi!"

Flip would have been happy to just stay and watch the brotherly display, but then her phone buzzed in her pocket.

"Uhmmm..." She shuffled and scuffed the toe of her shoe on the floor. The two froze. The smaller Hamada trapped in a headlock. "Tadashi, not that this isn't extremely amusing... But I really need to get going." She said sheepishly, shouldering her backpack.

"Oh. Yeah. Of course." The elder Hamada cleared his throat, straightening and realizing how childishly he had been acting moments before.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to stay over for dinner? I'm pretty sure Ta-" Hiro's sentence was cut off with an elbow to the ribs.

"Sorry, '_Hero'_. I have a curfew to stick to." She grinned at the small boy as she headed out of the garage, the brothers following her to the sidewalk as she waited for a tram to pass.

"It was a nice change of pace, helping you with your science project, Tadashi." The redhead faced him now, smiling.

"Well..." The robotics student gathered his courage. The tightness in his chest increased when the lights of the tram turned the corner just down the street. "It was nice having a partner. Maybe during the next project...?"

Quinn's smile widened, a pinkish tinge dusting her cheeks once more. "During the next project." She agreed uncharacteristically softly.

Just before the streetcar stopped by the side of the cafe, Tadashi remembered the dumplings. Part of his heritage seemed to take over when he stiffly, almost formally, _presented _the takeout box to the redhead with two hands. He froze, mortified with his actions.

Flip simply giggled and went with it. She bowed slightly, before taking the box with two hands as well. "Arigatou." She said as she stepped on, waving before moving to take a seat inside.

Tadashi waved back, and continued waving heedless of the fact that the tram had disappeared at the top of the steep road.

_'During the next project...'_

Tadashi was pushed roughly out of his thoughts when Hiro said slyly, "You like her don't you?" The boy had a large, silly grin plastered on his face as he looked at his older brother. The elder Hamada tensed at the statement... A statement that he was still in denial of... _Mostly_...

"'Dashi has a crush! 'Dashi has a cruuuush!~" Hiro laughed as he chanted repeatedly, dodging his older brother's move to grab him, his face turning beet red.

"Come here, bonehead! You know I'm not a fan of black coffee!" Tadashi yelled out, still in denial.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? How's the pace so far? We might be time skipping between chapters soon, so heads up. Oh yeah, I'm curious... Any ship names you've come up with?**

**-NS**


	5. Chapter 4: Step

**A/N: I know where this story's gonna go, but it's the getting there that's hard it seems. A bit of writer's block getting to me, but hopefully this chapter is still okay. Here we go.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: STEP**

* * *

WORD COUNT: 3,065

* * *

"Hey there, Flippy-Dippy! You weren't at the arcade this morning." Fred hopped over to his friend as she trudged through the double doors of the SFIT gymnasium that mid-morning. Over the time they became friends, they'd made a tradition of going to the arcade once a week, usually in the mornings when there were fewer people, to play a few rounds of games before really starting the day. Today was supposed to be a race day, and Fred was sure that he could beat his high score last time.

"Whoah! What's with the major eyebags?" He paused, putting his face several inches from Flip's, frowning as he examined the purple bruise-like circles underneath her grey eyes. A sly grin suddenly appeared on the fanboy's face as he pulled back. "Ooooh, that dog!" He wiggled his eyebrows. "What did you and Tadashi do last night?-"

The mascot found himself stumbling back a few steps when Flip lashed out, pushing abruptly at his chest. "That's not funny, Fred!" She snapped.

Okay. Fred mused. This was not characteristic of the Flip he knew. Said girl also seemed to process how rude she had been, and shock took over her expression. "I'm _so _sorry, Fred!" Her features softened slighltly as she sat down heavily on one of the bleachers. "I just had a _really _long night."

Fred, unfazed by Flip's previous outburst immediately parked it right beside the redhead. "Hey, I know Tadashi can get _really _crazy when it comes to his projects, but if he seriously made you work through the night-"

Quinn waved her hand dismissively, cutting him off. "No. It has nothing to do with Tadashi." She rubbed at her eyes and pressed at her temples, then at the bridge of her nose to try and ward away the headache that was forming. She peeked up at Fred, grey orbs tired.

"Oh..." Fred seemed to understand. "So it's the other thing then." This was probably one of the times that Gogo kept talking about when he needed to be more serious than his usual zany self. The fanboy shifted in his seat, not used to any type of serious atmosphere. He did his best though, staying uncharacteristically quiet and still for a few moments, twiddling his thumbs, until he finally got too antsy to stay serious. He jumped up, bouncing on his heels as he turned to his friend.

"Well, dancing always makes you feel better." He struck a few poses with the bright red rectangular sign he was holding. "Maybe you can show me afew moves to put in with my sign spinning before those cheerleaders finish with their warm up."

Flip gave a small smile. Fred's hyperactivity and encouragement gave her the energy she needed to choreograph for the next two hours. The fanboy really knew how to help keep her mind off of any sort of gloom and doom, but that was it. Not that she wasn't grateful for it... but He was more of a _"better-not-dwell-on-it,-change-the-subject" _kind of person.

She stood up, doing a few stretches. She'd need to find someone else she could talk to later on.

* * *

Tadashi was on cloud nine for most of the day. He woke up before his alarm blared to life, well rested for the day ahead. Hiro hadn't been as stubborn this morning while he got ready for school. There wasn't much traffic on the way to his little brother's high school, and it had been smooth sailing on his way to the institute. He got several of the highest scores when their class's quiz papers were returned and his teacher had commended him for doing well on his dynamics software.

Now, he was going to top off the day by spending an hour, maybe two if he was lucky, doing some advanced testing with his cute redhead project assistant.

_"His"_? Maybe he was being a bit presumptuous, but Tadashi didn't really care right now. The end to the night before had left him with a skip to his step. The sun was shining brighter, the birds were singing, and the world seemed just a bit more beautiful that day...

Except that Flip was now running twenty minutes late for their scheduled testing. She didn't like being late, and if she couldn't make it today, Tadashi was sure that she would have at least texted. The robotics student went over their parting the day before.

She'd been smiling when she left.

And she seemed genuinely excited for the next round of testing that he had planned...

"Come on, Tadashi. I'm sure she's just late. She's probably on her way now." Honey Lemon was saying gently. His friends had probably taken note of the sulky expression that had slipped onto his face ten minutes ago.

"Don't be so blue, bro." They'd seen it alright. "For all you know something came up, and she has to teach a class this afternoon." Wasabi put in, pausing his own work.

Gogo rolled her eyes as she walked past the robotics student who was eyeing the door. "Don't be such a _baby _about it. You haven't even _womanned up_ enough to tell her straight up how you feel!"

The speedster was right, he supposed. In fact, all of his friends had valid points. He really shouldn't have been sulking. He was probably getting a little ahead of himself.

So he did his best to push any thoughts of Quinn to the back of his mind as he focused on how he would have to do the testing by himself this time. He would have to do the motion recording first before testing the software, instead of doing the two simultaneously. It would definitely be harder and take quite a bit longer to spot any other kinks or bugs in his coding, but he was sure he could pull it off.

Five minutes later, the doors to the lab swung open, and the Hamada looked up from his laptop screen, seeing Fred. He expected a certain redhead to come skipping in right behind the mascot, but was disappointed when the doors clicked shut behind his friend.

"Hey, Fred." Tadashi greeted, waving. "Where's Quinn?"

"I bring gifts!" Fred said enthusiastically, holding up a plastic bag with chips and tortillas. Wasabi immediately grabbed the bag from the guy, fretting over the possibility that the hyperactive mascot might accidentally send the snacks flying.

"You should be more careful, Fred." The dark man scolded as he carefully poured the chips into a bowl.

Fred nodded half heartedly, before turning to address the Hamada. "Sorry lover-boy," He put a hand on Tadashi's shoulder, "She went home after practice today. She wasn't exactly feeling one hundred percent. _But! _She gave me this!" Fred pulled out another, smaller plastic bag, containing a simple sandwich. "Flippy says not to skip on lunch this time. She even said to make sure."

Honey Lemon cooed and giggled while Gogo rolled her eyes again.

"You seriously need to do something soon, she's practically your girlfriend already." Wasabi said casually.

Tadashi stood stiffly, gaping and beet red as he took the offered sandwich.

"She takes care of you, and makes sure you eat." Honey Lemon listed off, supporting her dreadlocked friend's statement.

"She always brings snacks for all of us!" Tadashi reasoned.

"You've been spending a lot of time together recently." Fred mentioned.

"For my science project! It was purely academic!" The robotics student retaliated.

"Really?" Gogo shot Tadashi a look. The robotics student swallowed.

"P-purely academic." He said a bit weakly, thinking about the little games and small talks he and Quinn shared before, after, and between tests.

"She's been to your house, and met your aunt and little brother." Wasabi mused, "Dude, now that I think about it... Even _we _haven't been to your house yet. We've met your aunt during school events, but haven't even seen your lil' bro yet, aside from the pictures."

"You can go to the Lucky Cat Cafe _any time_ you want, guys!" Tadashi floundered. "My aunt runs the place and Hiro helps out there every once in a while."

"The Cafe is different from the _garage_. That's a little more personal." Honey Lemon noted. "It's your _personal_ work space."

The Hamada knew they'd find ways to rebut every reason he had, so there was no point in arguing. He wondered how he'd become friends with such a stubborn, meddling group of teenagers. He sighed inwardly, friends would be friends. He really needed to take better care of himself if he didn't want Quinn to make a habit of buying him food, though. It just didn't seem right to Tadashi's sense of honor... not that that didn't seem kind of cheesy or anything.

He'd also keep it to himself how he had been thinking of asking Quinn out after their testing that day though. No... Nope. His friends didn't need to know that right now.

* * *

The door open and shut, the bell above it giving a soft ring. The redhead looked around, smiling. The Lucky Cat Cafe had a warm, cozy atmosphere that she really liked. She didn't really get to soak it in the last time because of how set her mind was on just getting Tadashi something to eat. The cafe was decorated with several Japanese pieces, and a few framed photographs.

"Hey there, Quinn." Cass Hamada greeted from behind the counter. The young lady smiled at the woman who ran the cafe.

"Hi Miss... Aunt Cass." Quinn quickly corrected herself.

Cass smiled back. "You're early. Tadashi's not back from the institute yet."

"Okay then. I'll just wait here. And maybe I'll try out the donuts this time. The cheese roll was great." Flip commended.

"Thank you so much, dear. Well, I'd recommend the cinnamon and spice donuts if you want something sweet. We have a fresh batch coming out of the oven in a few minutes."

"I think that sounds really nice, Aunt Cass. I think I'll have two of those and a medium Jasmine Cha." Quinn still felt a bit strange using such a level of familiarity with the woman she barely knew... but if she preferred it... _Well then_... She shrugged mentally. It was a small thing she could get used to.

Walking around the shop, the redhead examined the various photos on the walls. Some were of the city- the bridge, a sunset from one of the balloons that dotted the San Fransokyo sky, the flower garden in the local park. She grinned widely when her gaze fell on one particular picture.

"This is a nice picture of Hiro and Tadashi." Flip commented, chuckling at the nerdy pose the brothers struck as they stood side by side with their knees bent and arms raised. What show was that from again? She couldn't remember.

"At least someone else thinks so." The redhead turned to see the younger Hamada at the counter, holding out a rippled paper cup. "Aunt Cass grounded us for a few days when she told us to hang up a nice photo for the cafe and saw that." Hiro chuckled. "She learned to like it after a while though."

Flip laughed at the notion of the two getting an earful from their aunt all because of a silly picture.

"I bet she did. It's not the usual pose for a nice portrait, but I think it really has some personality to it." She said as she took the cup of tea and gave a few paper bills in exchange. "So, Hiro, it's nice of you to be helping your aunt out again."

The boy shrugged and walked out from behind the counter. "I actually just got here about ten minutes ago. I just happened to be grabbing a snack from the kitchen when you put down your order. I'm sort of waiting for those cinnamon and spice donuts too. They're awesome when they're freshly baked."

"We're both waiting then." Flip smiled, gesturing to a vacant seat at her table.

* * *

"Third time in a row. I win! Wooh!" Hiro raised his arms victoriously. The redhead beside him laughed at his enthusiasm. Around half an hour had passed, and Hiro had invited Flip to play a few rounds of video games in the garage while she was waiting for his brother.

"Gah! Don't mess with the hair!" Hiro yelped when the girl ruffled his messy hair.

"But it's sooo fluffy!" The redhead pouted. "And you get your glory, beating me three times, so this is my consolation prize." She laughed, ruffling the boy's black shock of hair again.

Hiro yowled like a disgruntled cat, crossing his arms as he sat on the couch, resigned to his fate. "What's with you and Tadashi always messing with my hair?" He grumped.

Flip paused, musing for a moment. "Okay, fine. Since you have that cute pout on, I'll make you a deal."

Hiro flushed slightly at the use of the word cute, but he sat up straight, interested in the deal that could keep this crazy lady's hands off of his hair.

"You beat me one more time in this game, and I swear I'll keep my hair ruffles to once every time we meet up-"

"I'd rather _no_ hair ruffling... _At all_... but something tells me that once is already good, considering your current track record of four times within the last twenty minutes." Hiro was already busy resetting the game, but something about this deal seemed a bit fishy-

"Heya, bonehead." Tadashi walked into the garage, walking straight to one of the tables, apparently not noticing the extra presence in the room. Flip made faces at the older Hamada's back, the younger one putting a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughs. "Shouldn't you be studying? You have finals next week an- Quinn?"

Both Hiro and Flip would have been laughing their hearts out on the couch, but the redhead processed what Tadashi had been saying.

"Wait. Your finals are next week?!" She looked wide eyed at the boy. "Oh my god. And I've been playing video games with you! I will_ not_ contribute to you getting low grades!" Flip immediately stood up and began pushing him toward the door.

"Relax! You already have a _bit_ of an idea of how much of a brainiac I am. I can ace all those tests _in my sleep_!" Hiro protested.

"Tests are still tests! You _have_ to take them seriously if you want to get into a good college and whatnot." The redhead worried.

"Okay, okay! Keep your socks on!" Hiro said, walking to the door on his own. "I'll be upstairs." He told his older brother when he passed, giving him a subtle thumbs up. Was _everybody_ in on this?

Flip watched, nodding, as the boy marched on out.

"Wow. Looks like I won't have to chew Hiro out this time." Tadashi looked at the closed door.

"Sorry about distracting him. Sometimes the time of year slips my mind. I should have known he'd have his finals around this time." Flip apologized, scratching at the back of her neck sheepishly. The disadvantages of being out of school... she wished it weren't so blatantly obvious.

"It's fine. There's no need to worry about Hiro, _really_. He's right when he says that he could probably ace those tests in his sleep." Tadashi said, trying to ease the guilt and worry that Quinn was feeling. "That shrimp really _is _that big of a brainiac. He just worries me because it's hard to keep his interests grounded in anything."

"Well, I think I understand where he's coming from... Not that I'm a genius or anything... But maybe he needs a challenge to keep him interested." Quinn suggested.

"Hopefully he finds a good challenge soon. He's graduating in a few weeks." The Hamada said a bit worriedly.

"Wow." The redhead breathed, impressed. "How old is he again? Thirteen, right?" The robotics student nodded. "That would make him a super genius, then. You have your work cut out for you, Tadashi." Quinn punched his arm playfully. "You'll have to be keeping a close eye on him. After all, with great power comes great responsibility."

Tadashi laughed, grinning, and nodding at the reference. "Don't I know it. I'll make sure that he follows a path to greatness." The Hamada said with a serious face.

"I am sure you will, master Hamada. You have already set a great example for the young grasshopper." Quinn replied, just as seriously, facing Tadashi. They ended their little charade, bowing to each other.

They both laughed at their antics, grinning widely.

"So..." Tadashi started when their laughter died down. "Why'd you wait up for me here?"

Quinn scuffed her shoe on the floor once more, scratching at the back of her neck. "I was feeling kinda guilty skipping out on you for the past few days at the lab and guessed that it would be best to catch you here." She answered honestly. "Is there anything left for me to do? With your dynamics project, I mean... If it's still ongoing that is." She said haltingly.

"I actually already perfected my software coding. Today." Quinn sagged a bit at that, but then Tadashi smiled. "All that's left is the full model run."

The redhead cocked her head to the side, waiting for an explanation.

"Our instructor wants a small model doing a full range of movement, and I'm thinking that a short number would be more interesting than the usual walk and run cycles. If that's okay with you, of course." Tadashi shrugged nonchalantly, but grinned widely, especially at Quinn's expression.

A small robot, mimicking one of her dance numbers? That was...

She smiled warmly at him, and held both his hands excitedly. "I'd be honored, Tadashi."

* * *

**A/N: Updates for all my stories, including "Defiance" (Assassin's Creed), will be coming a bit slower now. I got sick a few days ago and spent a while in the hospital... Unfortunately, spending 15-20 minutes at a time in front of the computer is my limit right now. I get dizzy and nauseated much too easily. I apologize for the delays, and I hope you guys will be a little bit more patient with me.**

**Till next time.**

**-NS**


	6. Chapter 5: Full Scale

**A/N: I think this might be the fluffiest chapter I've written in my life! A little bumpy in the middle, but I did my best. Here we go!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: FULL SCALE**

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WORD COUNT: 2,264

* * *

_It's for science. Academic. _Quinn thought to herself. _You've worn this outfit before, right? What's so different?_

It was for Tadashi... who was the only one with her in the empty studio. Not her usual dance class.

Quinn had suggested doing the motion recording in one of the studios at the recreation center instead. There was more space to move there than the garage- it _obviously_ made sense. So the two met up at the lab the next day, and left early for the center. They were already there, so why was she regretting her suggestion now?

The redhead had changed while Tadashi set up his laptop and whatever equipment he needed on one side of the dance floor. She walked out of the locker area after changing into the fitted top and leggings she sometimes wore for her classes, sans the loose shirt that she usually used to top it all off, a bit uncomfortable. _Why are you so nervous?_

_Probably because you can't help the thoughts that have been running through your head ever since you overheard that Tadashi might have a "small crush" on you... Dammit._ She'd been outside the door that day, right about to walk into the lab to give Tadashi her number, but then the redhead had turned on her heel when she'd overheard his little tirade. Quinn had done her best to act like she usually did around him since then, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach and the fluttering that developed in her chest whenever she was in close proximity to the cute guy.

_Stop it!_

She bounced on her bare feet, trying to shake off the thoughts that were running rampant through her head. Why did they choose _now_ to suddenly rear their heads? Running her hands through her shock of red hair, she pulled it up into a messy bun, trying to focus more on what she needed to do.

_What was she even supposed to do? Modern? Ballroom? A mix of hip hop and ballet? Tadashi had never specified what kind of dance he wanted for his project..._

Maybe doing her stretches would help her focus more. Yeah. Probably... She breathed in deeply and stretched her arms first. After a few exercises, she settled down into a split and reached for her toes.

Quinn wasn't the only one feeling somewhat frazzled, Tadashi was having his own problems concentrating. Especially when his project assistant walked into the room with that form fitting outfit. He gulped. _Stop being a perv, Tadashi. Get a hold of yourself! You are a **mature**, young man **in control** of his hormones. _

He pulled at the neck of his shirt, gulping again, before taking a deep breath. No matter how _valiantly_ he tried to keep himself in check, he still caught himself occasionally glancing at Flip as she continued her stretches. The flush on his neck refused to go away, and he ended up checking over his equipment three times to make sure everything was in order.

When the two were finally ready to start the motion recording, they'd both spent an extra ten minutes doing whatever they could to delay the inevitable. They faced each other.

Tadashi held a box containing the motion sensors. Small, circular, and each one numbered, his throat suddenly felt dry when it dawned on him _exactly_ what needed to be done.

He cleared his throat nervously, "We'll need to... uhmm... place the motion sensors on your arms, legs, and back before we can calibrate them and do the recording."

"S-Sure." Quinn said a bit awkwardly, realization clicking into place for her as well.

Tadashi held out a hand, in a way asking for permission before he pulling the redhead's right arm out when she nodded.

"Sensor one. Two... Three... and four..." The robotics student listed off as he delicately stuck each one of the white circles on specific points of her arm and hand. "Left arm please." He mumbled, repeating the process.

_Don't be a creep. Don't be a creep, Tadashi. _He chanted over and over to himself as he knelt down to place the sensors for Quinn's legs and feet. He took deep breaths through his nose as he tiptoed through _that_ minefield.

Quinn wasn't much better, her face turning a darker shade of red with each moment that passed.

_Academic. Purely Academic! _The two didn't realize it, but they were mentally chanting the same mantra. _It's a science project! A **project**!_

Mercifully, it was over in a minute and Tadashi stood back up, the redhead releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was sure if the situation had lasted a moment longer, she would have melted into a puddle of goo on the floor.

The robotics student stepped around Quinn, breathing a little calmer. "Just three more sensors on your back, and we'll be ready to go."

The redhead stiffened. "Uhmmm... Tadashi-"

The Hamada was surprised when Quinn suddenly jumped away from him when he tried to place a sensor on the middle of her lower back, a high pitched "eep!" coming from her lips.

"I'm sorry!" She said, jumping to try and get rid of the electricity she'd felt run up her spine. Her hands were crossed behind her back protectively. "I'm just really, _really _ticklish there." She smiled apologetically, her ears turning pink, and a blush creeping up her neck with her embarrassment.

Tadashi stared at her partly in disbelief, more in a sense of overwhelming relief. He thought he'd crossed some kind of line there.

_Dude... you crossed a line when you were putting sensors on her **legs**!_

A laugh escaped him at the ridiculousness of the entire situation.

If Quinn wasn't offended earlier, she sure looked annoyed now. Her cheeks flushed a deep red when she poked Tadashi harshly in the chest.

"There's nothing funny about this, Hamada." She huffed, her eyes narrowed.

_Now you've done it, Tadashi. _The teen mentally kicked himself.

"Quinn, I-"

"Let's just get this over with." She growled. Her anger seemed to numb her ticklishness because Tadashi was able to put the sensors on her back without too much trouble, though she still flinched when he placed the one on her lower back.

Quinn knew she was being a bit iffy... Alright! She knew she had majorly _overreacted_ with Tadashi for so small a thing, but she couldn't help it. Without a proper outlet, her frustrations with her frazzled feelings were manifesting themselves as anger towards the poor robotics student.

Tadashi's shoulders had slumped as he walked back to his laptop, not knowing what to do now.

_Great work, you idiot. _He scolded himself. Now this whole thing would be tense and awkward.

_Well... no use making this harder for both of us. Let's just do this. _He sighed sadly, mechanically doling out instructions to Quinn as he calibrated the sensors.

Quinn was also mentally berating herself as she noticed the flatness of Tadashi's voice when he spoke. _What is **wrong** with you?_ _Why did you snap at him so easily?!_ She regretted her sudden flare of anger._ This whole thing was supposed to be fun... but now..._

* * *

The two teenagers were both feeling frustrated with themselves for most of the recording session. A tension and awkwardness that hadn't been present during any of the times they had worked together settled in the air.

Still, they had managed to push through it, being formal, if not a bit frosty toward each other, and made an acceptable motion recording. Or so it was for Tadashi. However, Quinn was absolutely unsatisfied with it. She knew she could have done much better, but she knew she couldn't really concentrate right now.

Looking at the clock that hung above the wall of mirrors didn't help either. One of her classes was going to be using the studio soon, and she and Tadashi had to pack up.

The redhead worked on peeling off the sensors, while Tadashi bagged his laptop. She walked to him slowly, hesitantly, before holding out a hand full of the white circular devices. The robotics student knew he _had _to say something when he saw the expression on her face.

"Quinn..." Tadashi started, but he paused when she looked up at him unsurely.

The pause made her doubt her staying though, and she turned to the door to the locker room. She was quickly losing her nerve. She didn't want to be in the studio with Tadashi any longer in case she said or did something stupid and rash again. "I'll be having a class..." She murmured.

_Idiot! Don't let her go!_

"Quinn, _please..." _Tadashi took of his cap and ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. _Talk. TALK!_

"I- It's just..." _Why is this so hard?_

"Look, Tadashi. It was nice working with you." She turned, doing her best to give him a small smile. It was strained though.

_NO! _The Hamada refused to leave things like this. Everything was going just fine until today. "Look, Quinn... Fuzzy feelings and butterflies!... Gah! Why is this _so_ hard?!" He asked himself out loud this time. Quinn cocked her head a bit confusedly at Tadashi, but a spark of hope bloomed in her chest.

The flustered Tadashi stared at the ceiling and breathed hard through his nose, turning in an agitated circle. _Say it! Just **say it**!_ When he faced her, his eyes were tightly closed, afraid to see her reaction. "Ilikeyou,okay!" He blurted the sentence out, the words mashed together.

"I..."

Tadashi waited anxiously. He was surprised when he suddenly felt the gentle grip of two hands on his shoulders. His eyes shot open, expecting to see Quinn's stormy grey eyes staring up at him, but she was looking away.

"I think... I might like you, too." She mumbled so softly, he almost didn't hear. Quinn was blushing madly, staring at Tadashi's red shirt instead of his face. She was afraid she wouldn't have gotten her confession out if she'd been looking into those large, warm brown eyes.

It was her turn to let out an unintentional laugh.

"I think I like you too, Tadashi." She repeated, a little bit surprised at her own words. It had been a while since she had these kinds of feelings... She floundered a bit with what to do with herself. _What am I supposed to say next?..._

They both laughed together softly now at their awkwardness. The previous tension melted away, and a warmth spread in both their cheeks as they both processed what they'd heard and said to each other.

"You do?" Tadashi asked, not believing his luck. He felt he had to cement the idea of him liking her in his head before she decided to flip personalities again.

"Yeah... I think I do." Quinn smiled genuinely.

They just stood together for a while, her hands on his shoulders, and his grasping her arms tightly.

"I'm..." Quinn was the first to break the silence. "I'm really sorry I snapped earlier." She looked a little ashamedly to the side. "I guess... I was just... letting my frustrations out on you." She said, thumping her forehead on his chest in embarrassment.

With emotions running high in the room, the sight of the blushing redhead in front of him became just a little too much for Tadashi to handle, especially when she was biting her lip worriedly. "Yeah... frustrations..." He mumbled, forgetting himself for a moment. He stepped a bit closer to the redhead, their chests touching. The contact made Quinn look up at the Hamada, her cheeks flushed.

His arms gingerly wrapped around her waist, while her hands clasped behind his neck. Inch by inch, he bent down, and she slowly stood on the tips of her toes.

The door to the studio suddenly banged open, and the two jumped apart. Kids aged eight to twelve years old ran through, squealing excitedly for their class, not having any idea what they had just interrupted.

"Afternoon, Miss Quinn!"

"Are we doing the Salsa today?"

"I thought we were moving on to modern dance?"

Quinn had to take a moment to collect her thoughts, her face burning. Tadashi had to quickly step aside as more kids made their way into the studio.

"Uhmmm... Just do your stretches, then we'll decide what we'll do today." The redhead announced to her class while she moved to the Hamada who stood a bit awkwardly near the door.

The two smiled shyly at each other, stepping just outside the studio. They were both at a loss at what to do now, both feeling quite frazzled with how close they had been and being abruptly thrown apart.

"I'll... I guess I'll be seeing you at the lab then..." She said, twiddling her fingers behind her back.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks for today." He stuttered out.

"Bye, Tadashi."

"Take care." He said sincerely.

With a little burst of daring, Quinn kissed Tadashi on the cheek. She hurried back into the studio, blushing madly, before he could say anything.

Tadashi stood for moment with a goofy smile on his face, his hand came up to where her lips had touched. Both stayed there for a while as he walked to his moped, and on the entire drive back to the Lucky Cat Cafe.

* * *

**A/N: This is one of the few things I've written that get even close to romance. How did I do?  
**

**I forgot to put the link for the picture I referenced in the last chapter- deviantart dot com slash art slash Big-Hero-6-NERD-BROS-GATTAI-DA-503361717 ((Just replace the "dot" and "slash")) If that doesn't work, the piece is entitled "Big Hero 6: NERD BROS GATTAIDA" by behindinfinity on DeviantArt. All credits to Jin and his companions.**

**Any prompts for this story? I'd love to hear your feedback too.**

**Thanks again to everyone who R&amp;R'd, favorited, and put this story on alerts.**

**Anyway, I've been feeling a bit better, though I think this chapter came faster because of my excitement for Quinn and Tadashi to _finally _do something about their feelings.**

**Till next time.**

**-NS**


	7. Chapter 6: Aftermath

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while since the last chapter. BTW, I'm glad a lot of you liked "Full Scale", thanks so much to everyone who R&amp;R'd, and added this to their alerts and favs. :D So I won't keep you waiting with a long note this time. XD**

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: AFTERMATH**

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WORD COUNT: 1,913

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Quinn was giddy when she got home after teaching at the center. She bounced into her apartment and spun around, giggling as she shut the door behind her.

"Well someone's happy." A voice interrupted her little happy dance.

"Dad!" She looked at her father, surprised. He was sitting on the couch in the living room, obviously just waking up from an impromptu nap. "Sorry for waking you up." She said, a soft, sad smile appearing on her face when she took note of the dark circles under his eyes.

She sat next to him on the couch, leaning on his shoulder. "Long day at work, huh?"

He nodded tiredly in response, letting out a sigh. Quinn's father looked sombre for a moment, but then perked up and looked at his daughter.

"Let's not get into that. What's got you hopping around like a rabbit?" He smiled.

The redhead pulled at a lock of stray hair nervously. "Remember the guy I mentioned?"

Her father looked thoughtful, rubbing one hand on the stubble on his chin. "Fred?" He asked.

The man laughed when Quinn turned bright red and punched him weakly in the arm.

"No!" Quinn squeaked, embarrassed. "You know I don't think of Fred that way!" The fanboy was a fun guy all in all. He was nice, hyper, and they were close, pulling off all kinds of shenanigans together. But she only saw him as one of her best friends... Maybe even something of a brother, but that was it.

"Yes. I know." The man chuckled again. "You mean the boy you helped out with his project."

"Tadashi's hardly a _boy, _dad." She smiled again at the thought of the dark haired, brown eyed robotics student, her cheeks sporting a soft blush.

"Right..." The conversation was becoming a bit awkward for him. Benson Wells still did not like the idea of his little girl being all grown up and taking interest in a young man... Nope. He was still in denial- Like the first time this happened. But that time was easier. Even with all the waterworks.

"_Boy._" He repeated. "I'm your _father, _so I get the right to call anyone you might be interested in a "boy". I have a role to play you know." He shrugged.

Quinn chuckled at him. Then the thought of the turn events of the afternoon came back to her and she smiled widely, her ears turning incredibly pink.

"He likes me." She said softly, almost like she was still processing the statement herself.

Quinn didn't want to jump ahead of herself when she had heard him practically shout it out that day in the lab. Crushes were fickle things, ever changing, she knew.

But now that he actually _said _it to her in _person..._

She bounced again in her seat. "He likes me!" She grabbed a pillow from the couch, letting out a girlish squeal into it in her glee.

Her father looked at her, smiling. This was _definitely _different from the first time.

He did not know what to say and decided to simply hug his daughter tightly, his fatherly protectiveness taking over.

_His little girl..._

Quinn treasured these little moments with her dad. She hugged him back just as tightly.

* * *

It was two days later when the five friends were just hanging out, taking a short break from rushing any final requirements, when the others noticed a change in dynamic between Tadashi and Quinn. They were snacking on a grassy knoll in the campus grounds when the redhead walked up the hillside, waving.

"Hi guys!" Flip grinned at all of them, her expression turning into a brilliant, yet soft smile when her gaze landed on Tadashi. She almost skipped over and playfully grabbed his cap.

He let out a, "Hey!" and made a half-hearted grab for it. Quinn simply giggled and pulled off her own bonnet, pulling it over his dark brown eyes. She put the larger hat backwards on her head before settling on the ground beside Tadashi.

None of that would have been out of the ordinary if the dancer hadn't obviously made a beeline for the robotics student and he hadn't clearly scooched over to make room for her.

What _really_ tipped everybody off was when they smiled at each other. The gesture was warm, sincere, though a bit shy, and it looked like the two almost forgot the others were there. Then when Quinn grabbed a handful of chips, she leaned slightly into Tadashi's side, munching contentedly.

Wasabi and Fred shared a sly look, Gogo rolled her eyes at the mushiness of it all, and Honey Lemon bit her lip at the cuteness in front of her. The giddy chemist was about to blurt out a comment when Flip spoke first.

"So? Is everybody excited about the summer?" The redhead asked, leaning forward and bouncing a bit on the ground. "The term ends in two weeks!" Tadashi smiled lightly, amused, and finding Quinn's actions cute.

"Well..." Wasabi started, ignoring the elephant in the room for a moment. "I'll be going back home for a bit, then I have a week or two planned with my sifu to learn the art of bonsai sculpting."

Tadashi took a few chips from Quinn's hand instead of reaching for snacks in the middle of the circle they had.

"It took a while, but the institute finally allowed me to take the mascot costume out of school grounds!" Fred said enthusiastically, punching a fist in the air in victory. "So long as I bring it back the week before the term starts though-"

"Wow. You're really attached to that thing, aren't you?" Gogo said flatly. The fanboy simply grinned widely.

"Summer... The sun, the beach, who doesn't love a good vacation?" Honey Lemon clasped her hands together, looking eagerly at her friends. "And I'm actually going out of town for a the Lavoisier Chemistry convention this year." She jumped up excitedly. "I'm sure it'll be _amazing _with all the exhibits, demonstrations, and forums they'll have on the latest developments in the field of chemistry."

The bubbly blonde caught sight of the Hamada-Wells pair's hands brushing, with the two giving each other shy looks before hesitantly interlocking their fingers loosely.

"But we're getting off the _real _subject here." Honey Lemon smiled widely, staring directly at the robotics student and the dancer. "What about _you two_?" She knelt back on the ground and leaned forward.

The chemist caught their attention, the two looking wide eyed, and a bit sheepish that they were only half paying attention to what their friends were saying.

They both stammered at first, a bit embarrassed.

"We were kind of figuring out the best time to tell you."

"Is it _that _obvious?"

They both gave their answers at the same time.

"What do you mean _'Is it that obvious?'." _Wasabi parroted, looking somewhat incredulous. " Do you know how you two have been dancing around each other for weeks now? Though I'd have to say Tadashi did so more than you, Flip." The dark skinned man put a hand on his chin contemplatively. A sly smile crept onto his features as he looked at the aforementioned Hamada.

Tadashi took the gray bonnet off his head and ran a hand through his black locks, before his hand stopped at the back of his neck, his face red.

_'I can't believe I was **that **transparent.'_

"So?" Honey Lemon prodded. "How'd Tadashi finally tell you?"

"Well..." Flip started, seeing the Hamada beside her still a bit flustered from Wasabi's statement. "We sort of just blurted it out to each other when I was helping him out with his project last Saturday. It wasn't romantic, or over the top, or anything like that." The redhead began playing with the tips of her fingers. Her ears turned pink at the thought of what happened after their little confessions, right outside the studio doors.

With how she worded it, Tadashi wondered if Quinn actually _preferred _something romantic. He felt unsure of himself now. He looked down at the ginger beside him. She was fiddling with her hands, a tic of hers that he thought was cute. _Did she** want** something more romantic?_

Just as he was starting to sink into insecurity, the object of his thoughts looked up at him through her lashes, saying quietly, "Maybe it wasn't a fairy tale, but I wouldn't have had it happen any other way." Quinn's cheeks dusted pink again as she smiled softly at Tadashi.

Honey Lemon very nearly squealed. "Maybe not _romantic, _but that sounds so adorable! Did you guys go on your first official date yet? And why'd you wait two days to before thinking about telling us?"

The two shrugged at both questions, looking sheepish once more. Honestly, they were both just winging it right now.

Gogo chewed on her gum. "What was so hard about saying that Tadashi finally womanned up enough to tell you how he feels?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Fred agreed. "This is the _good _kind of news, isn't it?" The fanboy shrugged before adding, "It's not like you accidentally knocked her up or anything."

"FRED!"

* * *

"So he finally told you, huh?"

"I'd ask you how you knew, but I'm gonna say it's brotherly instinct." Flip glanced sideways at Tadashi's little brother before turning an intense gaze back to the screen.

It was almost four in the afternoon, right after Quinn's class, that she received a text from the boy.

**_Sooooo bored... -_-  
Wanna settle that score?_**

Quinn raised an eyebrow at first, but then shrugged. She needed something else to try and distract her from Fred's earlier statement anyway.

_Ugh. _Her entire face turned beet red at the thought and she facepalmed. _You're my best friend, Fred. But sometimes... _She did her best to push the thought away and marched in the direction of the Lucky Cat Cafe.

Now, she was with Hiro in the garage, playing a few rounds of video games, trying to settle the score and the little deal that Quinn had proposed before. Tadashi was at the insitute, busy with the final days of class.

"I would've been _blind_ not to realize it. Tadashi's pretty much been acting weird since last week. All mushy and stuff." He shrugged, but then let out a yelp as his character took as serious blow from Flip's. This was the deciding round of their game, and the choreographer was, surprisingly, about to win. Maybe because her extreme focus was making giving her a bit of an edge to the fighting game.

Hiro thought quickly before saying, "He's usually all serious and can be a real grouch at times." It was his turn to glance sideways at the older teen, "Plus his phone's been buzzing _way _more. I got curious and found practically a _thousand_ texts between you two. _Those_ were all mushy too."

Flip gaped at the boy, controller going limp in her hands. Hiro took his chance and she ignored the red flash as her character was defeated, and the younger Hamada won the game. "Yes!" He said in relief and victory.

"Hiro!" She nearly yelled, face turning red again as the dreaded thoughts returned.

_'...It's not like you accidentally knocked her up or anything...' _Fred's voice echoed in her head.

Quinn let out a squeak, Hiro becoming an unfortunate target of the female's flustered embarrassment as she took one of the pillows from the couch and repeatedly hit him with it.

* * *

**A/N: So, thoughts? I'd really like to hear more from you. :) Prompts, suggestions, and constructive criticism is always welcome. :D  
Special thanks to shika93 who left a review for all the past chapters as well.**

**Till next time.**

**-NS**


	8. Chapter 7: Summer Sun

**A/N: It's been a while since I updated, and my schedule has been pretty hectic- working and all, plus getting ready to get back to school. So a little more fun and fluff for you guys.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: SUMMER SUN**

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Word Count: 2,950

* * *

"So Hiro decided not to come along then?" Quinn asked, seeing Tadashi standing alone in front of the Lucky Cat Cafe when she hopped off the tram she had been riding. Tadashi shook his head.

Honey Lemon had been the one come up with the idea to go on a short trip as everyone in their group of friends seemed to have plans outside of San Fransokyo for most of the summer.

"Nope." He replied simply, walking towards the redhead and wrapping his hands around the girl's waist, giving a quick kiss to the top of her head.

Quinn blushed a deep red, tugging at a strand of her hair as she looked at the pavement. She shifted slightly but didn't pull away. "T-Too bad then." She stuttered out, trying to ignore how Tadashi chuckled, finding it kind of adorable just how shy the girl in his arms could be even if they'd already been dating for over two weeks.

The dancer ended up punching the robotics student in the shoulder lightly. "I'm getting used to it, okay!?" She said, looking up at into his brown eyes and pouting slightly with her own wide grey orbs.

"And that was the look Tadashi tried to pull on me when he tried convincing me to go." The bell tinkled as the door to the cafe shut behind Hiro. "Heya, Flip." The younger Hamada greeted the Wells girl. "Isn't the beach too warm for long sleeves?" He asked, noting Flip's deep green top.

Quinn stepped back a bit from Tadashi and turned to greet the boy. "Hi, _'Hero'_." She smiled at him, though he rolled his eyes a bit at the nickname. "No worries." She shrugged, pulling a bit at the hem of her shirt. "It's similar to what I use during my dance classes, so it's a pretty airy material." She then gave a sly glance at Tadashi from the corner of her eye and let out a soft laugh. "And yeah, I've seen the puppy dog look before. Apparently, it doesn't work on you."

"Absolutely right." Hiro nodded firmly.

"Hey bonehead, let me remind you that I managed to bribe quite a few gummy bears off of you with that look." Tadashi informed, crossing his arms smugly as he looked at his brother.

"That's only because you having that look on your face is _embarrassing_!" Hiro protested.

"Gummy bears!? Really? I had to ruffle his hair for a solid _two minutes_ before he shared just _three!" _Quinn gaped exaggeratedly. "And they were all _yellow_. Which are his _least_ favorite, because they "_taste"_ different. They _all_ taste the same to me." She said, looking to Tadashi.

"That's what I told him." The elder Hamada agreed.

"_Blasphemy!_" Hiro gasped, pointing an accusing finger at the two teens in front of him.

A few moments of silence later, all three laughed out loud.

"But really, Hiro. It would have been fun with everybody there." Quinn ruffled the boy's hair for real.

Hiro yelped and immediately backed away from her hand, shaking his head and combing his fingers through his messy black locks. "Are you _kidding_? I'd be totally out of place. I don't know anybody. I haven't even _met_ any of Tadashi's college buddies besides you!"

"I talk about you all the time at the lab, Hiro. Which is exactly why it would have been nice for you to meet the rest of the gang and just hang out. Anyway..." Tadashi sighed, before levelling a serious look at the boy. " Don't sleep in too late, even if it _is_ summer. And make sure to help aunt Cass out at the cafe while I'm away. "

"Bro, you're going on an _overnight_ trip to a beach just a few hours away. We have the whole summer to get sick of each other's faces. You'll be gone for like _two days_! Not _forever_!" Hiro groaned. It was crazy how his older brother could be a real mother hen at times.

Tadashi moved like lightning and wrapped an arm around his little brother, ruffling his hair.

"Tadashi!" Hiro yelped. "Quit it!"

"Only if you promise." The older Hamada continued his assault as the boy squirmed in his hold.

Quinn just watched the display, smiling. She really found Tadashi's way of convincing Hiro to do something pretty amusing. The brotherly dynamic between the two was cute.

"Okay! Okay!" The younger Hamada managed to get free, holding his arms up defensively to prevent another unexpected attack. "I promise!"

Quinn was giggling when her phone started ringing.

_"Are you guys coming or not?"_ Gogo's usual irritated tone of voice filtered through the speaker.

"Of course we are." Looking at her watch, the dancer realized that they were already running ten minutes late. Not too bad, but Gogo was particular about punctuality. "Oh." They were supposed to meet the guys at the Chai Leaf Cafe at eleven. "Sorry, we got a bit held up. We were just leaving the Lucky Cat." Quinn gestured at her phone, mouthing the other girl's name when Tadashi looked at her questioningly.

The speedster sighed, _"We'll just see you there. Turns out Wasabi's car finished getting tuned up two hours ago, so we won't be taking the bus anymore."_

"'Kay then. We'll wait for you here."

A beep sounded as the call ended.

"Gogo must be pretty miffed that we're late." Tadashi said, wincing slightly. The aforementioned girl would probably hit him later.

"We're not meeting them at the Chai Leaf anymore. They'll be picking us up here. Apparently Wasabi's car got fixed up just in time." Quinn explained. Tadashi nodded in understanding.

"Oh yeah." Hiro perked up, holding out a wire and a paper bag. "You almost forgot your phone charger, and aunt Cass gave these." The paper bag was full of a variety of freshly baked donuts. "She said to take a lot of pictures too."

"Thanks. Aunt Cass must be busy in the kitchen if she couldn't tell us herself." Tadashi mused out loud as he took the things from his brother, giving him a questioning look.

"Yeah..." Hiro said a bit sheepishly, looking back at the somewhat crowded cafe. "I better get back in there before she starts stressing." He said stepping backwards. "Enjoy the trip."

"We will. And tell your aunt thanks for us." Quinn replied.

The boy waved over his shoulder and trotted inside the cafe. He disappeared into the kitchen just as Wasabi's car pulled up, an annoyed Gogo sitting in the front seat and narrowing her eyes at the Hamada-Wells pair standing in front of the cafe.

"We have donuts?" Tadashi said, raising the bag hopefully.

"Donuts?!" The door to the back of the vehicle opened and Fred excitedly grabbed the bag. "You're the man, Tadashi!" He praised, before shooting back inside.

Quinn and Tadashi shimmied into the back, greeted by a bright smile from Honey Lemon. "Glad your dad changed his mind about letting you go."

"Yeah. He's funny like that." Flip said simply, giving a small smile.

A muffled "Mornin 'choo Fippy!" from the fanboy who had managed to stuff a chocolate frosted donut in his mouth made the dancer grin. She chuckled internally at her best friend, and at how Tadashi shifted a little nervously beside her when Gogo's annoyed expression didn't change.

* * *

The guys were fixing up a late lunch, Fred talking Tadashi's ear off as the dark-haired teen stood in front of a grill, tending a few burger patties, and Gogo had gone along with Wasabi to a nearby convenience store to pick up some ice and a few drinks for their cooler.

"So... you guys official yet?" Fred asked as he munched at a freshly grilled burger.

"Well, we've been together since the little incident at her studio." Tadashi looked back at the redhead and the bubbly blonde who were chatting at the picnic table they had just finished setting up. "But no." The word sounded with a sizzle from the grill, and the teen looked somewhat contemplative.

"Hmmm... I wonder if she'll cave soon." The fanboy muttered absently.

The dark-haired teen raised an eyebrow at his friend's words. "Cave?"

"Don't worry. Flip'll tell you in her own time." Fred shrugged, taking another bite of his burger. It was a rare thing, a bit strange, but every once in a while, the mascot had his cryptic moments.

Tadashi looked again to Quinn, just taking in her smiling face.

* * *

"Smash hit!" Fred yelled as he spun and jumped, aiming a hard hit on the ball.

He missed.

Gogo attempted to try and hit it upwards, so Wasabi could try to spike it to the opposite side of the net. It bounced on the sand before she could reach it.

"That's a point." Tadashi said, exchanging high fives with Honey and Flip.

"I think we'll actually win this." Flip laughed out. She had been a bit intimidated at first, seeing as the bulky Wasabi and the intense Gogo were on the other team.

"I told you you'd do fine." Honey said to the other girl.

"And if you didn't play, we would have ended up with uneven teams." He added, chuckling.

"Seriously, Fred." Gogo irritatedly bopped the fanboy on the head when he got up and brushed some of the sand off of his shorts. "Enough with the theatrics. There's two points between us now." She growled out. "The next point wins the game!" The speedster was definitely competitive. She played to win.

The others played mostly for fun, but it was somewhat entertaining to see her try to get her zany fanboy of a teammate take things seriously.

"Okay! Time to get serious!" Fred hopped up and down a bit, pumping himself up, and pulling off the loose red jersey he had on. He pulled his light hair into a low ponytail before putting his hands on his knees and crouching slightly, grinning.

"Oh no. He's got his game face on." Flip muttered.

She also couldn't help but notice that despite her best friend's lean stature, he was developing a bit of a belly. No doubt a result of lounging most of the time and playing his video games or reading his comics. It was summer, so he didn't have the exercise he got as the SFIT mascot. Maybe she should get him to participate in a few of her classes. She didn't want him lounging around the whole summer...

Being somewhat distracted by her thoughts, the redhead didn't notice as Honey Lemon was backing up to hit the incoming volleyball.

"Oof!"

"Oh!"

Flip lost a bit of her breath as the blonde crashed into her, elbowing her stomach, though the other girl still managed to bounce the ball upwards before the two tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Tadashi quickly positioned himself, returning the ball to the opposing team. He seemed to be on his own for now, as Flip and Honey were still working to untangle themselves from each other.

Despite being a one man team at the moment, the Hamada managed to return the ball twice.

Fred managed a hit in this time, though the ball curved in a gentle arc. Not exactly the aggressive hit Gogo would have preferred.

"Sorry sorry." The two girls who had finally managed to get on their feet apologized repeatedly to each other.

Flip, who had seen the slow descent of the ball, reacted and ran to set it for Tadashi, who was quickly trying to get to the front of the net, beside the girl.

The dancer grunted as she let the ball bounce straight upwards from her arms, then it was the robotics student's turn to jump, his eyes narrowed in focus.

"Rraaaah!" He yelled out as he spiked the ball, making it rocket toward the sand.

Wasabi cried out somewhat girlishly, cowering away from the deadly looking projectile, while Gogo daringly dived for it. Amazingly she managed to hit the ball.

It flew over the net...

And over the sideline, before hitting the sand.

"Woo!" Honey Lemon jumped up and down giddlily, throwing a quick hug around Tadashi.

"Victory!" Flip cried out, raising both arms triumphantly, bouncing as well in glee, before her blonde friend hugged her as well.

"We won!" She squealed, running over to where she had placed her phone, then pulling the shorter girl towards their third team mate. "Team photo!"

Tadashi and Quinn smiled widely at the camera lens as a click sounded.

The bubbly girl then skittered to the other side of the court to thank the others for the great game and take a few more pictures. Tadashi, on the other hand, went to his other team mate and twirled the elated redhead in a circle, making them both laugh.

"Like Honey Lemon said, you did fine." The Hamada assured the girl in front of him, giving her a smile. "In fact you did great. That was a good save too. Are you sure you're really new to volleyball?"

Quinn gave a small, crooked smile. "I'm glad you convinced me to play." She said softly, leaning her forehead on Tadashi's shoulder.

The teen felt the girl tremble slightly, making wrap his arms around her a bit tighter for a second, before moving to look at her face. "Wha-"

The moment was ruined when a stream of water soaked the two. They sputtered, tripping on each other as they tried to avoid the barrage of spurts.

"Watergun fight!" Fred announced, aiming the toy at Wasabi next. The dark teen yelped and ran for his own weapon.

"That's what you two lovebirds get for getting all mushy on us." Gogo stated, blowing a bubble with her gum. It looked like she had already changed, donning a purple bikini top and a pair of black shorts.

The two simply laughed a bit embarrassedly. "Aren't you guys used to it yet?"Flip asked, placing both hands on her hips. Tadashi chuckled at the irony of her statement.

Gogo was in the process of rolling her eyes when she was suddenly hit by a water balloon. Her brown eyes widened, then narrowed as she looked for the culprit.

Tadashi and Quinn stood, shocked at the turn of events. Whoever did that must have had a death wish.

Wasabi stood stunned, holding a pail full of water balloons. He pointed at Fred who was laughing hysterically.

"Fred!" Gogo growled.

"Oh crap." The fanboy noted the almost snarl plastered on the speedster's face, before running for his life.

"Get back here, nitwit!"

"Don't worry, Freddie! I'll help you!" Honey suddenly emerged, now sporting a pink one piece swimsuit, and grabbing a small squirt gun from the group's table.

Tadashi shook his head, grinning, amused with his friends' antics. He turned to Quinn, "You better get changed while they're distracted."

The girl nodded, heading for the picnic table to get her things. She picked up her beach bag from the side of the table, seeing a large neon green squirt gun on the bench.

"Tadashi will be needing this." Flip muttered to herself. "Tadash-!"

She turned and smacked straight into a chest.

"Iiii..." The last letter of the name slurred and faded.

A _bare _chest! Quinn realized as she backed up a step. _Tadashi's bare chest..._

"S-sorry! Sorry..." The flustered girl apologized profusely. Her face turned beet red.

"Quinn, breathe. It's okay." Tadashi chuckled trying to calm her, squeezing her shoulders.

She flinched slightly, trying her absolute best not to ogle Tadashi's lean, sculpted torso. If it was even possible, she turned an even brighter, almost glowing shade of red. She looked away, holding out the water gun.

"H-here you go, Tadashi." She managed to stutter out. He took it gratefully, noticing the vermilion blush on her cheeks. A sly smile crept onto his lips. Quinn saw the look on his face and did quickly did an about face, marching to the restroom to change too fast for him to make a comment.

Tadashi chuckled, letting out a sigh. Quinn really was adorable.

A water balloon burst at the back of his head, startling him. "Hey! You'll get our stuff wet!" He turned to see Gogo tossing another balloon in one hand.

"Then stop it with the mushy stuff, robot boy!" Gogo hollered, aiming a water pistol at the robotics student and squirting him in the face.

After a few minutes, the door to the restroom opened. Quinn tugged her sleeves to her wrists as she emerged, now donning a green and black surfer's top and a matching bikini bottom. It had been a while since she went swimming at the beach. The girl smiled at the thought of the fond memory of splashing in the sea and building sandcastles with her parents.

She was glad for the opportunity to do so again, this time with her friends.

Setting down her bag and unzipping the side compartment to reveal a pair of yellow water pistols. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed them, readying herself.

When she looked for her friends, she was surprised to see them a short distance away, along the shoreline still chasing and shooting at each other, the occasional water balloon being pelted. She grinned, running to join in the fun.

* * *

**A/N: The story starts to get a bit rough from here, and we'll be seeing a little more of Quinn's background in the next chapter. I'd like to know what you think of the chapter, and the story so far. Comments? Suggestions? Prompts? Just leave your thoughts in a review. Thanks!**

**-NS**


	9. Chapter 8: Crashing Waves

**CHAPTER 8: CRASHING WAVES**

* * *

Word Count: 2,342

* * *

It had been a crazy first day at the beach. After setting up their tents and eating a simple fish dinner, the six friends were lounging around a bonfire. They were content to just laze and watch the crackling flames.

"This is nice." Honey Lemon said, taking a casual picture of the group.

"Yeah. You got that right!" Fred fervently agreed. "We should go out like this every day!" Due to his distraction, the mallow he had been roasting caught on fire, and he had to wave the stick he was holding to put it out. The white treat ended up more than a bit charred, but the zany fanboy still ate it. "Ow! Hot! Hot!" He yelped, fanning at his mouth, and puffing out his cheeks. Grabbing the can beside him in the sand, he took a large gulp of his ice cold drink to douse the heat.

Gogo rolled her eyes, hitting the fanboy on the shoulder, his antics irritating her again. "We've got other plans too, dummy. Unlike you."

"Who says I _don't_ have plans?!" Fred raised his eyebrows, along with his hands. "If you guys are busy, which is _insane_ because it's supposed to be _summer_, I have all that time for video games and catching up with my reading!"

"Reading?" Wasabi questioned incredulously. Taking a sip from his own drink as he wondered. The word didn't seem to be one to logically be in the mascot's list of hobbies... much less his vocabulary.

"Comics." Flip stated simply, before taking a bite out of the smore she made.

"You got that right, Flippy Dippy!" The fanboy pointed at the girl with another marshmallow he grabbed from the plastic bag. "I'm behind on several series." He began counting the titles off with his fingers.

Tadashi shook his head, chuckling. _Of course comics. _Fred was definitely not the type interested in novels or textbooks.

"How about you, Tadashi?" Honey Lemon questioned.

"Well, helping my aunt out at the cafe of course." The guy in question replied, shrugging. Everybody else nodding at the obvious answer. "Then I also have to start thinking about what project I want to work on next term." He added.

"Project?" Flip asked, curious, as she had quite a bit of fun the first time she helped him out. It would be nice to be part of something like that again, she thought to herself.

"Next term is when the institute gives us more free reign with our work." Honey Lemon informed excitedly. "If you really _wow_ the professors, the lucky students sometimes get separate _personal_ lab rooms to use!" She was bouncing in her seat again.

"It's a bit early to be thinking about that, isn't it?" Gogo said in a flat tone, raising a dark brow.

"Well, it'd be good to get some ideas ready beforehand. Some concepts and rough schematics would really lessen the stress when we _actually_ have to start working on them." Tadashi reasoned, taking on a contemplative look. Honestly, he already had a few ideas. He just had to pick one and refine it.

The speedster shrugged, conceding the point. She couldn't really argue. She herself also had an idea what she wanted to do, vague as it was at the moment.

"That sounds reasonable." Quinn agreed as well. Tadashi was really the studious sort. He _had_ to be to become one of the best students at SFIT. The thought made her reach up and tug at several strands of her hair.

Fred let out a loud yawn as he stretched out on his seat on the sand. "Well, I'm gonna crash." The subject of school work, if it didn't involve the fun details, bored him somewhat, but he didn't say it out loud... _Now_ anyway. The fanboy stood and pulled up the flap to one tent. Tossing his empty can into plastic bag, he yawned again. "Night guys." He grinned, mostly at Tadashi and throwing a sideward glance at Quinn, rubbing at his eyes before ducking inside.

"I think we better get to sleep too." Honey Lemon stood, stretching as well, standing and reaching up with both arms. She gathered the rest of the empty cans that had missed their trash bag before facing the group. "Good night everybody. Come on, Gogo." The blondie said, smiling. She then pulled the dark haired girl from her seat on the ground and headed to the second tent.

"Yeah yeah." The speedster rolled her eyes slightly, grudgingly following after the chemist.

Wasabi got up a minute later to follow Fred. "Night you two." The dark skinned man said to the couple who were still seated close to the bonfire. "Don't stay up _too_ late." He added, his voice taking a sly tone, before ducking into the boys' tent.

Tadashi groaned quietly. Sometimes his friends weren't really as subtle as they believed with all their hints. They dropped them so often, almost to the point of being annoying, but of course, the Hamada's patience was still far from being snapped.

Quinn glanced up at where the others had disappeared into their sleeping arrangements. She paused for a moment, sipping slowly at what was left of her drink, before continuing to lightly pull at a lock of hair, twirling it around her finger.

It was a few minutes of silence before Tadashi noticed the nervous tic. The robotics student put his arm around the dancer's shoulders, squeezing lightly. He was surprised when she didn't lean into him, or give a shy smile or flustered comment like she usually did. Slight as it might have been, Tadashi could feel when she tensed.

"Hey... What's wrong?" He gave her a look of concern.

Quinn looked back at Tadashi, before turning her gaze upward to the stars that dotted the sky. She stayed quiet, and after a few minutes of silence, Tadashi thought that she wasn't going to answer.

Worry was starting to blossom in Tadashi's chest. He'd never seen Quinn quite like this before. She'd have her sombre moments once in a while, but she usually snapped out of those quickly.

Going over the events of the day in his mind, he couldn't think of anything that could be bothering the girl in his arms. It may have been a bit chaotic, but they'd had fun.

"Just... thinking... I guess."She said at last, biting her lip. She looked to her bare feet, toes curling into the sand.

"About what?" Tadashi asked gently. Was this what Fred had hinted at earlier?

_"Hmmm... I wonder if she'll cave soon."_

"A lot of things..." The redhead said, wrapping her arms tighter around her folded legs and leaning her chin on her knees. "Like my dad... Everybody... Like school..." She muttered, her voice small.

She looked sideways at Tadashi hesitantly. "I worry... Hearing everybody's plans... I..." She shook her head. It seemed that she had lost some of her nerve. "I just wish every day was like this." Closing her eyes, she listened to the crackling of the bonfire as she leaned into him slightly, seeking comfort in his presence.

It was a few moments of silence before she huffed out a laugh, "I'm not making sense, am I?" A strained smile forced its way onto her lips. "I'm sorry." She muttered wrapping her arms around Tadashi in a sideways hug, moisture glinting at the corners of her eyes.

"Quinn, it's alright." Tadashi wrapped one arm around her, giving her an assuring squeeze. "Just breathe. Take your time. I can wait." He said gently. "You don't have to share if you don't think you're ready."

"You have no idea how much those words mean to me." She looked up at him meaningfully for a moment before leaning her head back into his side.

It took him a moment, but slowly, tentatively, Tadashi put one arm around her shoulders, relief flooding him when she didn't stiffen this time. Encouraged, he pulled her a bit closer and put his free hand over hers.

Patiently, he just held her, not saying anything more. The only sound breaking the silence was the waves washing on the shore.

The redhead took a deep breath, and gulped down what was left in her can, steeling herself once more. She trusted Tadashi didn't she?

_Yes._

_Undoubtedly._

"Tadashi... Why me?"

The question came in a muffled whisper. It caught him off guard, but hearing the insecurity in her voice made him hold her tighter. "Quinn..."

Before the girl lost her courage again, words started tumbling out of her mouth.

"You're kind at heart, selfless, understanding, supportive... incredibly dashing..." She mumbled the last one in an even softer voice, her ears turned pink. Tadashi almost didn't catch it. He blushed lightly at her choice of words.

Breathing deeply, the girl continued in a stronger voice. "You're intelligent, studying robotics, and one of the top students at San Fransokyo Tech." Quinn listed, backing an arm's length away. "You've made all kinds of ingenious gadgets in your garage, and I'm sure you'll make even more of them."

The redhead looked at him meaningfully. "You're on your way to helping a lot of people..." She turned her gaze to the dying flames of their bonfire. "Me?... I barely finished studying at San Fransokyo City High..."

"Quinn..." Tadashi repeated. Sighing, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, pulling her from her distracted state. "You shouldn't put yourself down so easily." Looking deep into her grey orbs, he answered without hesitation. "Why you? It's _because_ you're you." Quinn's head tilted slightly in confusion.

"You're considerate of everyone, generous, caring... " Tadashi gave her a small, warm smile. "Teaching those kids at the centre... You're helping them in your own way. You're helping them reach their own dreams, find a way to express themselves."

"You might not be a college girl, but you've helped us nerds more than you know." It was then Quinn perked slightly at Tadashi's use of '_nerd'. _"All of your little gestures. They may be simple... but you take care of us." He looked back at the two tents where the others were sleeping.

"You make sure Fred eats something other than pizza and chips. You've helped Gogo tone down her sarcasm when it becomes hurtful. You've volunteered to test Honey Lemon's crazy concoctions." Quinn gave a small smile when Tadashi ran a few fingers over a thick lock of hair that was half blue.

"You help Wasabi keep his station organized when others make a mess. You make sure we all don't overwork ourselves. You do your best so none of us skip meals." The girl smiled even more when Tadashi poked at her side playfully to lighten her mood. He felt somewhat relieved when she reacted with a light slap on his arm.

"I think I would have burned out a lot if you didn't pull me out of the lab to take a break. Even Hiro..." The Hamada grinned. Quinn Wells was something of a big sister to the young boy. "You helped check in on him _every two hours_ when he got that horrible stomach ache eating all those gummy bears after his graduation." The two shared a chuckle at that, remembering that incident.

Then it was Tadashi's turn to look at Quinn meaningfully. "You give so much of yourself- your time, your effort, your energy- to everyone else, sometimes it's _me_ who worries."

"It's all I can give." Quinn said softly, looking into the Hamada's deep brown eyes.

"It's enough." Tadashi assured her, putting one hand on her cheek. "You're more than enough." The touch made the redhead lean into his palm.

The warmth and deep, genuine, honesty and gratefulness in his tone made the girl's heart melt. She just wanted to go with the moment and do what she felt, inching closer to the boy who made her feel _so_ wanted... Both their eyes darkened as they closed the distance...

At the last moment though, Quinn turned her head, Tadashi lips touching her cheek instead. He was surprised with the action, even more so when she moved to bury her face in his shoulder, hugging him once more.

"I'm sorry... Sorry..." Tadashi heard her mutter over and over as she wrapped her arms even more tightly around his back as though he was going to disappear.

He sighed internally, but didn't say anything. Tadashi's surprise and slight disappointment morphed into shock when he felt a damp spot growing on his shoulder. He decided to stay silent and simply tucked the shaking girl's head under his chin, returning the tightness of her hug.

Tadashi had been honest when he said that he was willing to wait.

If Quinn needed him to just be her rock right now, then he would be.

He was just glad that she was being honest with him now instead of covering up what was bothering her with a joke or a smile.

He knew there would be more they would have to talk through if this was going to work. If _they_ were going to work. If he really was serious about her... now was definitely not the time to ask her that though...

_One step at a time. _Tadashi thought to himself. He knew it would take some time before Quinn really opened up to him again about the shadows and doubts he had seen through the cracks she'd shown to him tonight.

He found that though he may have been worried and just a bit scared about just what those things might be, he didn't even think of pulling away. A sense of determination and protectiveness overrode anything else and he pulled Quinn closer.

The protectiveness only grew when she pulled back to wipe at the tears in her eyes. She hadn't noticed how one of her sleeves had slid almost half way up her arm, but Tadashi did. Especially when he saw motley yellow and purple bruises peeking from underneath the fabric.

He inhaled deeply through his nose.

Now was not the time to ask about that either.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter really didn't want to cooperate, and it took a lot of writing and rewriting. How's the drama? Review please.**


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